Unexpected
by apothecary in training
Summary: Harry's actions after 4th year produce some unexpected results. Harry enters his sixth year with a son no one can know about. AU after OOTP. No horcruxes. First story. Please be kind. HPGW RWHG.
1. Summer after 4th year

Nothing belongs to me. Except a large student debt. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am merely borrowing her toys. I will return them with little damage.

* * *

Chapter 1 Summer after 4th year

Harry walked slowly down Privet Drive. He had once again been kicked out of the house for trying to hear the news. Uncle Vernon seemed to take his new interest in current events as a personal insult. For the past week, since he got back from Hogwarts, it had been a battle to borrow the paper or sit in the living room at 7.

Harry was just attempting to figure out what Voldemort was up to. Since his friends were of no use. Harry scowled and stopped. He thought he heard someone behind him. He waited, no, he didn't hear any more steps. He could have sworn someone was there. Now the hair on the back of his neck was standing up.

_Death Eaters_. Harry took off at a run, down an alley, through a park. He spent 10 minutes jogging around in circle though areas of Little Whinging that only a native would know. Eventually he went into a bush in the play park where he had hid from Dudley years ago. _Who knew that Harry hunting would come in handy_. After a couple minutes of silence he heard a loud crack. Like a car backfiring, or a capgun. Or like the sound Dobby made in the hospital wing in second year.

_So, someone was following me. And only one noise so only one person. Why didn't he just curse me? Or grab me before I realized he was there? Maybe it wasn't a Death Eater. Could just be come nutter who wanted to get a look at the Boy-Who-Lived. Or someone from the ministry trying to get dirt on me. Maybe Dumbledore is having someone check on me to make sure I am dealing with Cedric's death. No, don't think about Cedric. Whatever, whomever it was is gone now._

Harry crawled out of the bush. He noticed a girl watching him. She looked just a bit older than him, maybe 16 or so. Her hair was dark brown and straight. She smirked at him.

"Nice hiding spot. Cops after you?"

"Err, Yeah. Just can't stay out of trouble." Harry was thinking fast for a decent explanation. This one might not hold.

"I thought school was supposed to fix that. St Brutus's has a high 'cure' rate."

"Do I know you?" Harry wondered just how many people had his aunt and uncle told that stupid story to.

"We went to primary together. You sat in front on me in 3rd grade." The girl explained. "You stopped your cousin from putting gum in my hair once. I'm Sheila Hamilton."

"Right, I remember now." Harry had forgotten about most of the people he went to school with. Dudley kept anyone from being his friend. He only really remembered her because she was one of the few kids that had been held back a year in school.

"Why are the cops after you?"

Thinking fast. "Not really sure, if its not one thing, its something else."_Dodge the questions, try not to lie._

"I like a bad boy. Got so much trouble you don't know what to do with it." Sheila smiled widely at Harry. He wasn't really sure if she was believing him or not. "Where is your school anyway?"

"Scotland."_No lie there._

"Is it fun?

Harry said, "Not as much fun as you'd think." He got an odd look at this. _Really, who expects a school for criminals to be fun._

They talked for awhile. Harry missed his friends less when he was talking to someone who wasn't afraid of him. She didn't seem concerned that he was widely known as a criminal. Eventually he noticed it was getting dark so he said he had to get home. He was shocked when Sheila gave him a kiss on the cheek and a warm smile before she turned and left.

Dudley was already home when he got there and that night he got in trouble for being out so late. Seems Dudley's arrival was the standard he would be measured by. _I'll keep that in mind._

* * *

The days passed slowly. More letters arrived from his friends Harry could tell that Ron and Hermione were in the same place now. He continued to see Sheila. They sat in the park together in the evening. A couple of times she invited him over to her house when her parents were gone. On these occasions they did a lot more than kiss. Sheila was very sure of what she wanted and apparently she wanted him.

Harry had no idea what he wanted. She was pretty, yes. And he was a fourteen, soon to be fifteen, year old boy. His body definitely knew what it wanted. But his mind was so numb, with everything that had happened to him the last month, that he just didn't know. So Harry went along with it.

On his birthday, Sheila decided to give him a present. Her parents were out of town for the weekend and they were going to go all the way. Harry, true to form did not protest. But in the aftermath, his head finally started working.

_Why did I just do that? _

_I don't love her. I'm not even sure I like her. _

_I just wanted to feel._

_Now I'm feeling alright. I am feeling disgusted with myself._

_I used her._

_She wanted to be used._

_That doesn't make it right._

_This wasn't her first time._

_That doesn't make it right either._

_Why did I do that?_

Harry made an excuse and left. The Dursleys were already in bed. At least he didn't have to explain to them.

Now that his brain had started to function it wouldn't stop. He felt so guilty for the way he let himself act. It didn't matter that Sheila started it and led him by the nose all the way. He wanted to love the person he was with.

* * *

Harry spent the next couple of days avoiding Sheila. He quit going to the park and instead hid under the windowsill, in the Dursley's flowerbeds to try and hear the 7'oclock news.

In truth, he was almost relieved when he was locked in his room after the dementor attack. Now he didn't have to work so hard to avoid Sheila.


	2. Summer after 5th year

Nothing belongs to me. Except a seven year old CD player. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am merely borrowing her toys. I will return them with little damage

* * *

Chapter 2 Summer after 5th year 

Harry was depressed. Just two weeks previously he had watched his godfather die. And now he sat at a kitchen table with three people who hated him. But he was surprised when his uncle spoke to him in a calm voice.

"Do you know a girl named Sheila Hamilton?"

"Yes, I … er … hung around with her last summer." Harry had no idea what was going on but he knew it wouldn't be good.

"So you have no idea why she would ask Petunia what your father's name was." Vernon was still calm but seemed hesitant.

"No. When did that happen?"

"In January. Just how close were you to this girl?" Uncle Vernon seemed to be trying to find something out without directly asking.

"Close, for a little while. But I am never in Surrey for very long." Harry really didn't want to admit how close they had been.

Now Petunia was talking in a kind way. "See the thing is, that girl was putting on weight all last year and then in February she completely disappeared. Her parents had no idea where she went and had the police looking for her. At the end of April her parents got a call from a hospital saying that Sheila had died from an infection after a Cesarean Section."

_Cesarean Section but that means. _"No!" It wasn't possible, that couldn't have happened.

Petunia continued. "They came home with a baby boy. A few days later they came to see us. Sheila had time to fill out a birth certificate before she got sick. The baby's name is James Tyler and your name is listed as the father."

Uncle Vernon looked at Harry in the eye. "Could you be the father of the boy?"

"When was he born?"

"April 15th. And he was a little early, apparently so he would have been conceived in late July or early August."

"Yes."

There was silence. No one knew what to say. Finally Harry asked, just so he had something else to think about, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Surprisingly Dudley answered, "Because you saved me from that Dementoid thing. It tried to suck out my soul and you stopped it and got is lots of trouble for it too."

Petunia added, "After your headmasters letter I realized how badly I had been treating you. Lily wouldn't have treated Dudley badly if the situation had been reversed. I couldn't let my jealously determine my actions anymore."

Harry was finally getting some answers and he didn't want it to stop. "Why didn't you contact me in April when the Hamiltons first found out."

"We didn't have any way to. We don't have an owl and we couldn't just mail a normal letter to Hogwarts school, somewhere in Great Britain."

"How did you send my Christmas presents?" Harry knew they weren't very good but they still managed to find him.

"Your owl shows up here every December 23rd and won't leave until we give her something for you," said Vernon.

_Ok, that explains a lot. They probably just shove the first thing they see into an envelope._ "So, what now?"

"Well, the Hamiltons both work and can't take care of a baby. They have a nanny watching him but they really don't want the baby. We convinced them to wait for you to get back from school before putting him in an orphanage. We have been paying for the nanny. What happens now is up to you." Petunia explained gently.

_Oh Merlin. _"I'm not letting my son," Harry almost choked on the word son, "go to an orphanage. Can I keep him here?" _How did this happen to me. Well, I know how this happened but why is it always me._

"You can both stay here for a month. That's how long it is supposed to take to make the house safe for another year, according to your headmaster. After that you both have to go. We don't want a baby around but we will give you a chance to figure out where you are going next." Vernon seemed adamant about this. Harry knew there would be no point in arguing. "The Hamiltons are expecting you this evening. I suggest you go over there."

Harry was terrified. For one, how did he say yes I slept with your daughter, got here pregnant and never talked to her again. Also how to do this without the Order finding out. They followed him last year and were probably doing so again. That meant using his invisibility cloak_. It's a good thing Moody doesn't watch me. It would be impossible to hide James then._

Harry snuck up to his room and pulled his cloak out of his trunk. He wore it until he reached the alley where he had first seen Sirius before taking it off to go to the Hamiltons.

Harry screwed up all his Gryffindor courage as he knocked on the door. When it opened to a tall man, Harry took a deep breath and said, "I'm Harry Potter." And was immediately punched in the face causing him to stumble back a couple feet.

_I think I deserved that. _ A woman's voice rang out "Tyler, that enough." A woman who look amazingly like Sheila, but older appeared in the doorwayas the man turned and walked away. "He's here to take the baby. We have no right to stop him. Come in."

Harry felt he had to say something. "Are you sure this is what you want? My Aunt said you can't take care of him."

The woman looked sad but said, "This is how I want it. We just lost our daughter and I can't stop blaming the baby for it. If he hadn't been born she would be alive. This is how it has to be. I can't look at him anymore"

_So this child won't have any grandparents. Okay, I didn't either. I guess we will be fine. _"Where is he?"

"Upstairs, third door on the left. The nanny left this afternoon, since your aunt said you would be here tonight. Take whatever supplies are there. Petunia said she had all the furniture you'll need."

Harry went up the stairs and was drawn to the nursery. This was his son. He was no longer alone. He had a family for the first time since he was 15 months old.

He looked in. An impossibly small baby lay in a crib. He was dressed in a blue sleeper. His hair was black and short but looked impossibly messy._Sorry for that one kid._ James was identical to the pictures of Harry as a baby. His looked so small that Harry was afraid to touch him.

Looking around the room, Harry spotted a diaper bag and started piling stuff into it. He pulled all of the cloths out of the dresser and all of the diapers from the stand. Once he had put all the toys he could see into the bag it dawned on him that the bag shouldn't be that big. When he looked in the bag he saw that it was only half full. _Okay, I think I'll say that's accidental magic and worry about it later._ Once everything was in the bag he again approached the crib.

_I don't want to hurt him. I don't know anything about babies. How am I going to do this? Okay, deep breath. Just pick him up. _Harry reached down and picked up James. With one hand under his head and one under his butt, Harry was just lifting him out of the crib when James's eyes opened. A stunning green, Harry's eyes. _I guess there is no doubt anymore._ James looked at Harry and smiled as if he already knew this was his father. Harry's heart leapt. _My son, my family._

Cradling James as if he was made of glass, Harry picked up the diaper bag and left the room. He once again met Sheila's mother by the door. She seemed to be working very hard not to look at James. Harry said, "Do you want me to write you to let you know how he is doing?"

"No, I'm sorry but I can't. I need to forget about him." She really did look sorry as she handed him a book. "This was Sheila's diary. She started to write in it when she realized she was pregnant and couldn't find you. She wanted you to know what went on. I think everything that happened caused her to go insane, please don't think too badly of her."

"Why do you believe she was crazy?"

The woman seemed ashamed to admit it. "She wrote that when the baby kicked at night everything on her bedstand would hover an inch up."

_I guess James isn't a muggle. I wonder if that is normal._ "Alright. Thank you. For the book and for taking care of James."

And with that Harry walked out of the Hamiltons' house to sneek back to number 4 without the Order noticing him and his son.


	3. Back in Number 4

I own nothing. Except three Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls CDs. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc. Oliver Boyd belongs to a guy named Christian from Toronto.

* * *

Chapter 3 Back in Number 4

Harry entered the house under his invisibility cloak. James was once again asleep in his arms. Harry removed the cloak before entering the kitchen to find his aunt just completing her prebedtime scrubdown.

When Harry entered the room she said, "I had Vernon and Dudley get the old crib down from the attic. They had to move your desk into the guest room to fit in the crib. Now I'll show you how to feed and change him. He'll probably need both every four or five hours. Don't expect me to help you very often."

With that, Petunia showed him the basics handed him a book on baby development and told him to go to his room.

When he reached it the room, it looked completely different. Instead of a desk, there were a crib and a rocking chair. _That'll be useful._ Harry set the overloaded diaperbag on his bed and sat in the chair still holding James. Freshly changed, Harry could smell the unique baby smell of milk, powder and something that was just James. The baby was warm in Harry's arms as he fell asleep. Harry couldn't make himself lay his son in his crib.

_To think it was only yesterday I was talking to Luna about Sirius._

_What would Sirius say if he knew about this? Would he laugh, be ashamed of me, offer to help or something else all together?_

_I guess I really didn't know Sirius well enough to know how he would react. I didn't know my parents well enough either. _

_Oh Merlin, what if something happens to me. Who will take James? The Hamiltons don't want him. I wouldn't want the Dursleys to raise him. None of my friends are old enough. Hell, I'm not old enough. I could ask the Weasleys. Molly would love any child no matter whose it was. I am going to have to go to Gringotts to make a will._

_Oh, what are the Weasleys going to say? Or Hermione? I am not looking forward to that lecture. I think I will wait and tell them in person. Hopefully I will be going to the Burrow this summer. _

_Nobody needs to know right now. I want to get used to this first. _

With that thought, Harry fell asleep sitting in a rocking chair holding his son tightly.

* * *

At three am Harry was woken up by James just as he started to cry. Moving quickly to avoid waking the Dursleys, Harry fed and changed the baby. James seemed wide awake and not inclined to return to sleep so Harry sat in the rocking chair and read aloud from the development book. James seemed to hang on his every word.

"So you are supposed to like moving objects, primary colors, and lights. I think I have just the thing." Carefully laying the baby in his crib, Harry dug through his trunk to grab the Golden Snitch he had kept after being banned from Quidditch for punching Malfoy. After closing the window that had been left open waiting for Hedwig to arrive back from Hogwarts, Harry released the Snitch. James seemed fascinated by it whenever it came near him, which was quite often since the room was so small. Once James fell asleep, Harry caught the Snitch and went to bed.

Harry's personal alarm clock, otherwise known as James, woke him at 8 am. After tending to the baby Harry ran downstairs to grab breakfast. While there he asked his aunt if she could watch James for a couple hours while he went shopping in town. She agreed.

After checking that James was asleep, Harry once again left the house under his invisibility cloak to avoid Order guards. As he crossed the street in front of Number 4 he thought he heard someone trip on the curb. _Must be Tonks today. I am going to have to remember to leave the house normally at some point make sure that they know I am still alive. And I've got to remember to write. It would be disastrous if someone came to check on me before anyone knows about James._

Harry was mainly concerned about getting a disguise. He need to go to Gringotts to make a will and knew he couldn't walk down Diagon Alley. Once Harry got to the center of town he went in search of an optometrist.

He was so glad that he had had Mrs. Weasley get him a lot of Muggle money from his vault last summer. With the trial he hadn't been sure where he end up last year and want to make sure he had his bases covered.

He found an optometrist that was just opening and asked about an appointment and was informed they had had a cancellation and he could get in right away. With a new prescription, he picked out new glasses, plain contacts and contacts that would tint his eyes to brown.

He wanted to be as nondescript as possible and was hoping to style his look off of Colin Creevey. Just as he had claimed to be Neville before third year, using other names was a good plan. And pretending to be a muggleborn was safer since fewer people knew them.

Next he went to a drug store and bought a couple boxes of "mouse brown" hair dye as well as a couple boxes of black so he could get his hair back to its normal color when he didn't need his disguise anymore. He also picked up a bottle of extra strength hair gel so that his hair had a chance of lying flat. He got some odd looks buying coverup and foundation to hide his scar.

Disguise complete he went shopping for James. Harry had no idea when he would be able to get out of the house again so he went a little crazy on cloths and diapers and toys. He got sleepers and outfits for every size up to a year and a half. Not a huge number of them but he figured that if he was a Hogwarts he would be able to cast cleaning spells so they wouldn't need many. All the cloths were simple and plain but sturdy. The toys were colorful. He even picked up a few fairy tale books but thought he should mostly get wizarding stories since they would both be living in that world.

Once again Harry had an odd experience with a bag that seemed to hold everything simply because he needed it to. _I've really got to look that up. I don't even mean for that to happen._

Harry returned to Privet Drive, under cloak again, just as James was waking up. Petunia said he slept the entire time Harry was gone. James seemed to want to play for a bit again so Harry pulled out the Snitch. When Harry caught it and held it in front of James, who was sitting on his lap, James laughed. Harry felt his heart leap into his throat. He couldn't swallow past the lump there as he looked into his son's smiling face.

_I would give anything to know that I will be able to see smile for the next five, ten, fifty years. It all comes down to the prophecy. "Neither can live while the other survives." If I fail the wizarding world has no future, James has no future. So, failure is not an option. I must train, I must win. For James._

* * *

AN: Hi Everyone. I haven't done this before since I didn't actually think anyone would read this. Guess I was wrong, so to:

hpnut1, Maraudergrl99, and DeliaDee thanks for reviewing.

The plot bunny won't stop attacking me. The secret will be kept for quite awhile; I kind of know generally where I am going until after sixth year but feel free to make any suggestions.

I am not sure how often I will post. I have exams right away but I could be posting like mad during Feb break.

TTFN krc686 aka apothecary­intraining


	4. To Gringotts and a book shop

I own nothing. Except every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc. Buffy belongs to Fox.

Here's to entering the 5000 words category for the story

* * *

Chapter 4 To Gringotts and a book shop

One week later Harry was prepared for his excursion to London. He had arranged for his Aunt to watch James for an entire day. All it had taken was the promise of repaying all the money the Dursleys had spent on the nanny while Harry was still in school. Harry had dyed and gelled his hair and put in his colored contacts. He also used makeup to cover his scar, glamours couldn't cover it but apparently Muggle makeup could. He didn't even recognize himself in the mirror.

Harry took care of James's needs before setting off that morning. Once again he left the house under his father's cloak. He traveled invisibly until he reached the local train station where he used a bathroom stall to become visible again.

The ride to London was uneventful. Harry used it to catch up on missed sleep. Not only was James inclined to play at night but Harry consistently had nightmares where Cedric, Sheila and Sirius took it in turns to blame him for their deaths. He was starting to feel some effects from sleep deprivation.

Worse yet, as time had passed his incidents of 'accidental magic' had gotten worse. It had gone from expanding bags, to opening the window to let Hedwig in from across the room, and once he even summoned James's bottle from downstairs before Harry was even completely awake. Accio was supposed to require intent with a wand, not wandless vague awareness of a crying baby.

When Harry reached London he took the subway to Charing Cross Road where he entered the pub that muggles couldn't see. For once no one recognized him. Not that there were many people there. Tom, as always, stood at the bar but instead of the usual crowd of merrily gossiping witches and wizards there were only a couple of groups, keeping to themselves, and quickly eating breakfast as their eyes darted nervously.

This was slightly unsettling to Harry. _The war has begun, changes have started now that everyone realizes what danger they are in. _Harry hurried through the pub to the courtyard behind and after tapping a certain brick entered the alley.

Things had changed since the time he had spent there when he was 13. Gone were the crowds and cheery displays. All the stores were papered with the Ministry's guide to personal safety and wanted posters of known Death Eaters. Harry was surprised that there was no poster of Sirius._Maybe they finally admitted he was innocent. Too late but at least he will be remembered accurately. _

Harry had a list of things he wanted to do but figured that Gringotts was most important. That was why he came anyway. He hurried to the white pillared building. He immediately went to a service desk and asked the goblin there if he could meet with someone from the Wills and Inheritance department.

Harry was escorted to an office where a goblin asked, "What is your name?"

"Harry James Potter."

The goblin squinted at him and then waved a hand and looked startled. "You look like Mr. Potter but you have the wrong colour eyes and hair and you're not wearing a glamour. How'd you do that?"

"Muggle methods." Harry was surprised the goblin was asking him this.

"Muggles can do that? I had no idea. I am going to have to ask you to confirm your identity. Please place a drop of blood on this parchment." With that the goblin shoved a parchment and dagger across the desk to Harry.

Harry did as prompted and was surprised when the blood he had shed moved and flowed to form the words: 'Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily (Evans) Potter.' The shine of blood on parchment reminded him horribly of last year and the lines upon lines of 'I must not tell lies' written in his blood. Harry hastily shoved the parchment across the table to the goblin, who looked at it and nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, I had to be sure you are who you claim to be. I am Gornuk. I suspect you are here about a Mr. Sirius Black's will." The goblin said this quite politely.

Eyes wide Harry responded, "No, I wasn't even aware he had a will or that he would leave me anything. I was actually planning to write my own will."

"Ah, yes. We can file a will for you but first you should probably hear Mr. Black's will. We have been waiting for you to come before opening it. Actually, by Goblin law a will cannot be read unless the chief beneficiary is present. This causes problems when the deceased has left the majority of his or her estate to someone unexpected. I cannot tell you how many times we have set up a will reading only to not be able to open the envelope because the primary inheritor is not present. Luckily, Mr. Black indicated verbally that you would need to be here to open the will."

"Er, I guess I will hear Sirius's will then handle my own." Harry really didn't want to hear this. He sure didn't want any of Sirius's stuff. He would much rather have Sirius back.

The Goblin pulled a relatively plain envelope out of the desk and had Harry touch it. At that touch the end opened.

The Goblin read: "I, Sirius Black, do hereby void all previous last will and testaments on this the 10th of May 1996. I leave the following:

To Andromeda Black Tonks: I leave 100 000 Galleons. You and your daughter are the only blood family I acknowledge.

To Remus Lupin, my brother in all but blood: I leave 100 000 Galleons. Do with it what you wish. Make sure you have enough left for a certain potion.

To Harry Potter: I leave everything else I own, investments, property and cash. I also leave you a letter that is inside the will envelope. I hope you use the money for something you enjoy.

This concludes my will. I left the Malfoys and Lestranges exactly what they deserve. Nothing. They will not be allowed to contest this will.

Signed Sirius O. Black"

Gornuk handed Harry a plain white envelope. This was too much for Harry at the moment so he just put the envelope in pocket intending to read it later. "He wrote investments, property and cash. Just how much did he have?"

"The Blacks were a wealthy and powerful family once. In recent generations the power has decreased but their wealth has not. The family has investments in many, many companies in the wizarding world. There are over 20 properties listed as belonging to them, now you, in the UK and Europe. The liquid funds in Mr. Blacks vault total over 2 million galleons. You are now a very wealthy man."

"Okay, er, could I transfer 100 000 galleons to a business named Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. They don't have to pay me back, but attach a note asking them to help their family as much as possible with the profits." Harry knew the Weasleys would never accept money from him but if Sirius's money could be used to make WWW more profitable the twins would be able to ease some of the financial burdens on the family. "Also, can you delay notice of the will being read for a while, I'm really not supposed to be here."

"I can legally wait one month before notifying the other beneficiaries," Gornuk informed Harry.

"That will be long enough. I was wondering if I could pay to have my investments monitored by Gringotts or another Goblin firm." Harry knew, from discussions at Headquarters last year, that the Goblins were going to be neutral in the war. They thought that this was a wizard squabble that they had no part in. While their help would have been appreciated, Harry couldn't blame them. As someone who had no choice but to be at the center of a war, he didn't begrudge any race the option of staying out of it. And having his money in the hands of a neutral party seemed like a good idea. If he won, there would be no harm done financially but if he lost then James would have the funds to go set up a life overseas.

"I can arrange for investment department to handle your businesses. They will assign you an investment councilor who will contact you to see what changes you would like to make." Harry agreed to this plan.

An earlier part of the conversation came back to him. "Wait, you said a will can't read until the main beneficiary is present. Was my parents' will ever read?"

Gornuk again opened the desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. "Apparently not. It seems that we were unable to get you here shortly after their deaths and by the time you did visit the bank, we had forgotten about it. I apologize for that. It does happen sometimes but most feel the delay is worth the guarantee of privacy regarding the contents. I can read this for you now if you want."

Harry touched the envelope, which opened. Gornuk said, "It simply states that if one of your parents died they left everything to the other one and if they both died everything would be left to you. Your guardianship was to be Sirius Black but if he was unavailable then it would fall to Remus Lupin. There is also a note stating that they knew of his medical condition and wanted him to have guardianship anyways. Since Mr. Black has passed on, your legal guardian will be Remus Lupin."

Gornuk handed Harry three vault keys, a stack of papers and said, "Here are the keys to the Potter family vault, the Black family vault and Sirius Black's personal vault, the papers list all Potter and Black investments and properties." Harry took them.

"What do I need to do to make my will?"

"I will give you a certain parchment and a spelled envelope. Once you have written your bequests place a drop of blood at the bottom of the parchment and place it in the envelope. Once I put the envelope in the drawer it will not reappear until you die. If you place blood on another will, this one will be voided and will not reappear on your death."

Harry did as he was told. He left sums of money to the Weasleys, and more to Ron and Hermione. He left everything else to James and named Molly and Arthur as guardians, with a list of ten other names for if they were unavailable. This was war and he had no idea who would survive and he wanted to make sure that no blood relative would raise James. The list was daunting including Bill Weasley, Remus Lupin, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Professor McGonagall, Nymphadora Tonks, and finally the Weasley Twins. If none of these people survived James was to go to an orphanage in Australia. Under no circumstances was he to be left with his maternal grandparents or paternal great aunt and uncle.

Once the envelope had disappeared into the mysterious drawer Harry asked to go to his personal vault. He couldn't bring himself to use one of the new keys. It was just too soon. Harry then took half of the money he had out of the vault. Things were dangerous and he didn't know when he would be able to return to the alley. He also needed a lot of supplies for himself to train and for James. Harry once again experienced a bag that held more than it should just because he wanted it to. He then exchanged half the money he had taken for pounds. If he ever needed to hide, it would be easier to do it in the Muggle world and he needed to funds to do so.

After checking to make sure his disguise was still in place. Harry entered a now busier, but no less dreary Diagon Alley to do some shopping. His first stop was Flourish and Blott's. _If Hermione could see me now. Oh, she'd be so proud._ He needed an unbelievable number of books but headed for the section that he was most concerned with first: Law, specifically guardianship. He was mainly wondering if Remus was actually his guardian and about the people he had listed for custody of James if something happened to him.

After making sure no one was watching him, he pulled out a book on child custody and after flipping a few pages found the section that answered his second question.

'No child, under the age of eleven, will be in the care of any person that is not of age, that is to say seventeen or older, even if the person is the child's parent. Any child in the care of an underaged person will be taken into custody by the Ministry of Magic, who will decide who is the best guardian for said child.'

_Oh, crap._

* * *

There it is. My twist. The whole thing that made me write this.

Sorry for the cliffhanger but it seemed a good place to stop.

Thanks for the reviews (there is no need to be pushy). I might post again before the weekend, but I make no promises.

Oh, I'm going to mention my inspirations:

The plot bunny attacked me while I was reading Secrets by potter8668. You can see some connection between these but not a lot.

Also there is Birthday Surprises by Lolly Phoenix, the Little Child to Lead Him by Blue RosesAtMidnight.

I am sure there are others influencing me but those are the best Harry is a dad at Hogwarts stories that I've read.

Anyway TTFN

Krc686 aka apothecaryintraining

P.S. first person to guess the logic of apothecaryintraining in a review gets a mention at the start of the next chapter


	5. Diagon Alley

I own nothing. Except a twenty year old cabbage patch doll named Lucy. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc. Cabbage Patch dolls belong to the 1980s.

This chapter is dedicated to: choirsinger, the person who wrote the tenth review

* * *

Previously on Unexpected: 

'No child, under the age of eleven, will be in the care of any person that is not of age, that is to say seventeen or older, even if the person is the child's parent. Any child in the care of an underaged person will be taken into custody by the Ministry of Magic, who will decide who is the best guardian for said child.'

_Oh, crap._

Chapter 5 Diagon Alley

_That's not good. I guess they really don't like teenaged pregnancies. Why the Ministry? That has to be the organization I would trust the least to do what is best for James. They would use him to control me. I would do anything they asked if they had custody of him. Not to mention they are so corrupt that he would go to someone like Malfoy who pays to have whatever laws he wants. I can't deal with this right now. Nobody knows about James so they not going to be visiting us at Privet Drive. I will get what I have to do done and then make a plan. Until then I will do what I always do when I am in trouble. Make it up as I go along._

With that thought Harry closed the book and started compiling the books he needed to buy. He got several about the ministry and how they function. He hoped the few books on guardianship laws would go unnoticed. He bought books on wards, ancient runes, wizarding fairy tales, arithmancy, wandless magic, defense against the dark arts, Occlumency, Legillimency, rituals, measures of magical power, healing, household magic, unique skills in the wizarding world, construction, childhood development and every required text for the last two years at Hogwarts, including the subjects he didn't plan to take. Voldemort had 50 years of magical knowledge on him. Harry figured he should try to close the gap at least a little.

Some of the books were a part of a plan that was just starting to form in the back of his mind. He also wanted to see if it was normal for James to have been levitating object before he was even born. Harry had no idea when a persons magic was supposed to manifest. He remember Neville's story of bouncing at age eight. Harry's first memory of doing magic was of having his cupboard mysteriously unlock when he really had to go to the bathroom but he must have been four or five at the time.

Once he had paid for all of his books and they were placed into a featherlight bag, Harry left the bookshop. He really wanted to go see Fred and George's shop but knew his disguise wouldn't hold up to them. Even if they were pranksters they wouldn't like the idea of Harry giving the order the slip to wander down Diagon Alley for no reason he could mention. There was fun and then there was stupidity.

As Harry walked in the general direction of Ollivander's, he noticed a trunk shop he hadn't been in before. _I think that fits into the category of making it up as I go._ He entered the shop. It was dusty and over crowded with product. _Wizards really don't seem to put much effort into marketing._ The second the door closed behind him, a man popped up from behind the counter so suddenly that Harry drew his wand.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," said the man, "Quick draw. Good reflexes. What can I help you with?"

Harry hastily put his wand away and said, "I'm looking for a trunk."

"Of course you are. Welcome to Mitchell's. Is there anything specific you are looking for."

Harry found this man quite unsettling and was distinctly reminded of Ollivander the wandmaker. "Well, I once saw a seven compartment trunk that had a small room in the last compartment. I was thinking of something along those lines." Out of sheer paranoia, Moody would be proud, Harry was careful not to make eye contact with this man. He had no idea why he was so bothered by this person but didn't want to take any chances that the trunkmaker was a Legillimens.

"I know of what you are speaking about. I don't have any single room trunks in stock but I do have a few two room trunks. I have to warn you they cost a pretty Knut."

"Money is not an option. But I was wondering, I have a puppy" _I can't believe I am using a puppy as a reference to my son_ "And dogs aren't allowed at school. I was wondering if a sealed trunk would be safe for him." Harry hoped this would be a backup plan. Keeping a baby in a trunk seemed wrong on so many levels.

"Ah, you don't know how these trunks work. See the rooms, actually any trunk that is larger than its outside dimensions; exist in a separate plane from ours. The connection is permanent and stable but if say the trunk is moving the room is not, because the room isn't actually in the trunk. Do you understand?"

"So, what about fresh air and light?" Harry figured this would be important for any living being and he could get away with asking this.

"There are charms for that. I can install crystals to make the charms permanent. They will need to be charged in five years or so. I can give you instructions on how to do so. I will even install magical windows like the ministry has, for a price."

"That sounds good. How big are the rooms and how many total compartments do the trunks have?"

"I have one trunk with two normal compartments and two five by five feet rooms. One with three normal compartments and two six by six feet rooms and my largest has 5 normal compartments and two ten by ten feet rooms. All rooms are normal height. The rooms' sizes are limited by arithmancy equations. A seven compartment trunk can have much larger rooms than a trunk with any other number of compartments."

"I'll take the seven compartment trunk. I need the fresh air and light charms placed on both rooms. I need magical windows in the seventh compartement. I also want some measure of spell protection on the sixth compartment. Er, … if I'm say brewing a dangerous potion in the sixth compartment and it explodes would my puppy in the seventh compartment be in any danger?"

"No, everything in the magical plane is very spaced out. I will ward the entrance to the trunk against potion and spell damage though. If the trunk itself were damaged it would be difficult to get the puppy out."

"Could I have every possible protection on the outside of the trunk? I need it protected against fire, theft, water, and anything else you can think of. Also would it be possible to make it so that only those that I inform can see the locks for the two rooms? Some kind of Fidelius Charm?"

"I've never done that before. I'm sure I could. I will put every offered protection on the outside of the trunk. And everyone will see only five compartments unless you tell them otherwise. Now the "keys" to the trunk are actually fingerprint and magical signature, which you can get from the fingertip. Only those that you key in will be able to open any compartment. As soon as I enter you into the trunk, I will remove myself from its list so that you become the trunkmaster. I will need an hour or so to set up all the spells. Pay for the trunk and go buy some ice cream or something and come back in an hour."

The price the creepy man quoted was more than what Harry won in the Tri-Wizard tournament but Harry knew it would be worth it. His son would have a safe bedroom and he would have a place to train.

_I don't know why that guy freaks me out but he does._

* * *

Harry left the trunk shop and went down the Alley to Quality Quidditch Supplies. He was happy to be in a store that reminded him of simpler times. He remembered coming in everyday before his third year to look at the Firebolt on display. 

Harry bought a couple training snitches for himself. These ones were faster than normal Snitches but stayed within 5 metres of where they were released. They didn't have flesh memory either, since they weren't game quality. He also got a child's Snitch for James. These still resisted capture but stayed less than 1 meter off he ground and would circle whoever had release it. Harry thought James would love it. He also bought a toy broomstick. Harry knew it would be a long time before James would be old enough to ride it but he couldn't resist.

Those purchases complete, Harry still had time before he could get his trunk. He didn't need any new robes, he had bought some in Hogsmeade in February and he knew he wouldn't be able to buy James any wizarding clothing. It would draw too much attention. So Harry, seeing a jewelers, decided to replace his watch.

Harry browsed the merchandise and noticed an advertisement for emotion sensing charmed watches. He had to flag down a saleswitch to have explained.

She said, "It works on the same principle as family clocks. We use a hair to active a charm that senses the emotions and welfare of whoever the hair came from. If they are upset the watch will feel cold. If they are happy it will feel warm. If they are asleep it won't react at all."

Harry purchased a watch that was activated and ready for a hair to be added. He thought it sounded like the perfect alternative to a baby monitor.

Finally, Harry was able to pick up his trunk and finalize all of its charms. He loaded all of his purchases into the first compartment and used its autoshrink to stow it in his pocket before leaving through the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

A/N: Sorry no James in this chapter either. I promise he will be in the next one. 

Harry's done his shopping, for now. Three more weeks on Privet Drive, then he's got to move. I am still throwing around three ideas as to where he goes next. Pretty close to deciding on one soon.

As to the challenge of the meaning of my new pen name: Hasn't been correctly answered yet. It doesn't have anything to do with an apothecary as a building or business. There is a totally logical reason for my name. And the reward as stated previously is a little misleading, I am just going to say this chapter is dedicated to .

Stats so Far: almost 900 hits, 13 reviews, 13 alerts (not counting author alerts), 5 chapters, 4 favorites and just over 8000 words. All in about 30 hours since I started typing.

Time for me to say goodnight.

Apothecary in training aka krc686


	6. Making plans

I own nothing. Except a pair of shoes, of which the left one has teflon on bottom. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc. Those shoes are made by Balance Plus.

* * *

Chapter 6 Making Plans

Harry arrived back at Privet Drive around supper time. This also meant that James would be just waking up. Harry was surprised by how much he had missed his son in the ten or so hours he had been gone. He had no idea what he was going to do when he had to go back to Hogwarts. He thought it impossible to leave James just to go to classes, not to mention the thought of having him taken away if the ministry ever found out.

Harry took care of James and played with him until he started getting drowsy. Harry then rocked his son to sleep and held him as he thought.

_Okay, time to come up with a plan. Who do I trust?_

_Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna. Those are all the students I trust with my life._

_What adults do I trust?_

_I would have said Sirius but otherwise I trust McGonagall, Lupin, the Weasleys (except Percy), Tonks, Hagrid, and Dumbledore. _

_Well actually, I wouldn't trust Hagrid with any secret. Dumbledore has made mistakes but he's got so many things that he is responsible for, he can't do what is best for everyone. It's actually funny how much I trust McGonagall, but after her standing up for me to Umbridge I know she is on my side._

_Okay, I have fifteen people I trust with my life. Who do I trust enough to tell the Prophesy to?_

_Telling anyone will put them in danger but I can't keep everything secret._

_Definitely Ron and Hermione. I don't know Ginny, Neville or Luna well enough just yet. Neville does to deserve to know at some point since it could have been his destiny. Dumbledore already knows. If Lupin is my guardian I should probably tell him so that he knows what he is getting into. If I need a cover for my training, I would have no problem telling McGonagall but there is no need, yet._

_Now I am down to five people that I trust enough. I trust them with my life, their own lives and the fate of the wizarding world. _

_The question is: Do I trust them with my son's life?_

_In the end that's what it comes to. If Voldemort finds out, James becomes the number two target after me. If the ministry finds out, Voldemort definitely finds out and I won't even be near James to protect him._

_So I can't tell any of them, not yet. It is one year and a couple weeks until my seventeenth birthday. Then the ministry won't be legally able to take James. At that point, I will tell everyone who knows the prophecy about James. He'll be 15 month old by then and need more human contact than just me._

_The problem is I can't go to school and leave him alone all the time. I need someone's help. What I need is someone who will be physically unable to speak my secrets. Someone like …_

Harry put James in his crib and laid the invisibility cloak over him. If this didn't work out as he wanted, he didn't want his secret exposed.

"Dobby."

With a loud the house elf appeared, "You has called for Dobby, Harry Potter sir!" The house elf seemed overcome with joy at this prospect. Unfortunately, the noise of his appearance woke James. _Things never go according to plan._

Harry had to pick up James to soothe him. Dobby watched this with wide eyes. "You is holding a little one."

"I noticed. Listen, Dobby I was wondering if you could help me. I need someone to take care of James while I am in class at Hogwarts but no one can know about him. The ministry would take him away if they knew. I would pay you and give you time off, whatever you wanted but I need you to keep this secret. I know your magic kept you from being able to tell me about Mr. Malfoy's plans with the diary. I need that kind of protection."

Dobby looked quite downcast at this. "Harry Potter, elf magic only makes secret keeping in bound elves. Dobby would never tell any of Harry Potter's secrets but wizards have magic that can force secrets not protected by elf magic."

_He's probably talking about Legillimency and Veritaserum. That puts him at risk from Dumbledore, Snape and Voldemort. I really didn't want to ask this. Hermione is going to kill me if she ever finds out._ "Dobby, I hate to ask this of you but I really need your help. Would you be willing to be bound to me? I will still pay you and I'll free you as soon as I am seventeen, when the ministry won't take James."

"Dobby would like to be Harry Potter's elf but Dobby also likes being free. Dobby trusts Harry Potter to keep his word. Dobby agrees to be bound until Harry Potter is seventeen."

"Thank you Dobby I swear that I will free you. How do I bind you?"

"Dobby does not know. Dobby was very young when he was bound to the Malfoys."

Harry dug through his bag of books for all of the ritual books. It took him a minute to find the ritual. Harry then placed his hand on Dobby's head and said, "Operor vos congruo ut servo meus prosapia?"

"Etiam," replied Dobby which completed the ritual.

"Thank you Dobby. I have a couple of rules for you. You cannot punish yourself. Even if you think I am mad at you or you break something. I want you to come and talk to me first. I would also like you to continue wearing clothes. I will give you money to buy whatever you need. The biggest thing is to keep anyone from finding out about James. I am going to set up a nursery for him in the room connected to my trunk. Can you apparate into wizard space?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby can pop to any place he has been before."

"Okay." Harry pulled out his trunk and expanded it in the little space that remained in the bedroom. "There is a spell on this so that until I tell someone otherwise they only see five locks so, 'Harry Potter's trunk has seven compartments.'" Dobby's eyes went wide as two additional lock appeared. Harry added Dobby to the trunks security features before opening the last compartment and leading Dobby down the ladder.

Harry explained, "This with be James's bedroom. Once I can use magic I will decorate it."

"Dobby is able to do magic that the Ministry won't know about. What does Harry Potter want Baby Potter's room to look like?"

"Err, how about blue walls with a trim of golden snitches and broomsticks. I'd like white curtains on the magic windows."

As Harry stated what he wanted Dobby waved his hands and the room changed to exactly how Harry had imagined.

"Thank you, Dobby."

"Does Harry Potter want anything else done to Baby Potter's room?"

"Can you move furniture while apparating?" Dobby nodded vigorously. "Then can you bring James's crib, the rocking chair and all the bookshelves from my room to down here?" Dobby disappeared and reappeared several times, each time with a different object. James didn't seem to be bothered by the noise of apparating while in his father's arms.

Once all the furniture was in place, Harry said to Dobby, "Alright Dobby, I need to have a safeguard on this plan. If something happens to me and I die or am unconscious for one week or more I need you to take James to Molly Weasley at the Burrow near Ottery St. Catchpole. I will always have a letter to her on the dresser telling her about James and why I did what I am doing."

Harry continued, "I don't really need you to take care of James until I go back to school. I might call on you a couple times to watch him if I have to go out for some reason. Otherwise you can do whatever you want. Last year you said you like to work. Do you want to go back to Hogwarts until I need you?"

"Yes, sir, Dobby would like that very much. There is not being much work to do in the summer but there is still some."

"Well, go ahead then. And thanks again Dobby, I would be in a lot of trouble without you." Dobby left with another loud crack. Harry sat in the rocking chair with his son and spent an hour just watching him sleep.

* * *

A/N I used a random website for a Latin translation. I know it will be terrible but the only Latin I know had to do with diseases, treatments and medical tests. So here's what they are supposed to mean: 

Operor vos congruo ut servo meus prosapia is Do you agree to serve my family?

Etiam is Yes.

**The Challenge: What does my penname mean?**

Not answered yet. So far wrong guesses have been

Me working in an apothecary or wanting to

Something to do with my story. I have been using this name occasionally for over a year.

Thanks to all those who reviewed.

I now have over 1300 hits on the story. That is slightly scary to me. This goes with only 17 reviews.

Anyway, I'll update when I can. I am kind of planning on doing some jumping around and writing up some of the major scenes I have planned that won't be posted anytime soon just so that I can keep my eye on where I am going. I can't believe that I am approaching 10 000 words. It doesn't seem like that much. Especially since most of it in one day of timeline.

Bye

Apothecary in training aka krc686


	7. Mister Padfoot Presents

I own nothing. Except a dozen out of date textbooks. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc. The textbooks are out of date because they release new editions every couple of years so that we can't resell them.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_thoughts_

This is dedicated to having over 2500 hits.

The winners of the challenge are Maraudergrl99 and Chelsey89. I am a pharmacy student, for which the old name for was apothecary.

On with the show…

* * *

Chapter 7 Mister Padfoot presents

As Harry stood to put a sleeping James in his crib, he felt a piece of parchment in his pocket. Harry returned to the chair without his son and pulled an envelope from his pocket.

_When did I put that in there?_

Harry opened the envelope to find a blank piece of parchment and a letter. He looked at the signature. It was the letter from Sirius's will. Harry read:

'Dear Harry

If you are reading this then I am no longer with you. Boy, that sounds melodramatic. It is a little morbid to be writing a letter that won't be read until you are dead. But anyways, I wanted to make sure you knew a few things and I didn't know if I would get a chance to tell you.

First, I have to say that I love you. I have since the day you were born. One of my favorite memories is of your father hexing me for calling you Bambi. I thought it appropriate, you being the son of a stag animagus. He seemed to think it too feminine. The best times of my life were with your parents, Remus and later you. Nothing seems as fun or happy as they were in the first months after you were born.

Second, I have to say I am sorry for leaving you. In truth, I am not upset at the prospect of dying. My life has been hard. And my recovery from Azkaban has been slower than you know. I hope I didn't die at my own hand but if I did I hope you will forgive me. You and Remus are the only reasons I haven't taken that action before now.

Third, I wanted to leave behind a little help. Use a certain password on this parchment to get some detailed instructions for this assistance. I know the Order is protecting something in the Department of Mysteries, that has to do with you and maybe this will give you a leg up with whatever it says.

So, goodbye. I hope I don't see you for a long time. Live, laugh, and play some pranks, for Merlin's sake. I want to have the privilege of looking down on a whole new generation of Potter's someday.

With love,

Sirius O. Black.'

Harry didn't even know he was crying until he saw a drop of water land on the parchment. He used his sleeve to wipe his face. He had no idea that Sirius was that depressed. He was moody and sullen last summer and seemed to be trying too hard at Christmas.

_More evidence that I didn't know him very well. What does he mean by help?_

Harry pulled his wand out to touch the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Once that was said, the writing shifted and reformed the words:

'Mister Padfoot presents the Marauder's guide to becoming an animagus.

Inside the envelope that this letter came in is was a blank parchment. It is known as a fateor. This has a potion soaked into it that will reveal magical skills and abilities. How to make a fateor was the largest stumbling block to the Marauder's finding our forms. Eventually this guide will tell you how to do so.

To use the fateor, place five drops of blood at the bottom. If you are capable of being an animagus it will list the form among other skills. If you have above average power it may list more than one form. Once you have completed this, and if you find you have an animagus form, tap this parchment and say what animal you will become to get the next instructions.'

The writing stopped there so Harry grabbed the fateor and used his potions dagger to cut his finger. Once the blood was on the fateor, it started to flow and move, just like it had at Gringotts, but this time instead of spelling his and his parents' names it said:

'Strong Parcelmouth

Strong Air Elemental

Strong Wandless Magic

Animagus Wolf

Animagus Red Kite

Animagus Raccoon

Moderate Mind Arts

Weak Dream Sight

Weak Inner Eye

Weak Fire Elemental

WEAKENING POWER BLOCK'

_What does it mean Power Block? Who blocked my powers? And when?_

Harry went back to Sirius's letter and, with his wand on the parchment said, "Animagus forms wolf, red kite, and raccoon."

The ink on the parchment once again reformed to say

'Wolf is a canine and shows you are decisive, powerful, passionate and opinionated. You have a tendency to be stubborn but above all are group orientated. You will do anything to protect your family and those you consider your pack, even at the expense of your life.

Red Kite is a large predatory bird and shows you are a social being, you work well with others, are not afraid to fight but have the ability to be deceptive. Any bird indicates a desire for freedom.

Raccoon is a scavenging mammal. This shows you as a jokester with hidden enemies and skills. You have the ability to lurk in the shadows until it is time to be revealed.'

This ink paused for a minute to allow Harry to read before reforming the words,

'Did the fateor say any other skills?'

"It said Strong Parcelmouth, Air Elemental, and Wandless Magic, Moderate Mind Arts, Weak Dream Sight, Inner Eye, and Fire Elemental and a Weakening Power Block."

Once again writing formed on the parchment.

'Look elsewhere for information on Parcelmouth, Elementals, Mind Arts, Dream Sight, and Inner Eye. This imprint of Mister Padfoot does not include such information.

Wandless Magic is exactly what it says, the ability to magic without a wand. This is quite uncommon and is very useful in a duel. You will be able to maintain a shield with your left hand while casting hexes with your right. You will have practice this.

A Power Block is a protection placed on child who displays magic unusually early. This is done because toddlers have a strong tendency to loose their temper. This leads to their magic attacking everything around them, including other people and themselves. The intent is for the block to be removed before they start Magical Education.

The block is weakening, meaning your magic is escaping. This would cause random magical things to occurs, much like a child's accidental magic, but without the emotional trigger. There is a ritual a person can do to unbind their magic, called Ut Eximo. You will have to do this ritual before you can become an Animagus. You will also have to completely relearn to control your magic.

In the meantime, look up the details on your animals' appearance, habits, temperament and anatomy. You will have to know a great deal about the animals before you can become them.

When you have completed the ritual and the research, reactivate this parchement.'

The ink stopped there. Harry knew what to do to vanish the writing. "Mischief Managed."

The writing returned to Sirius's letter of saying goodbye. Harry decided he had seen and learned way too much for one day. He slept and dreamed of a large black dog.

* * *

A/N

Okay, there's the next chapter.

Congrats to those who figured out what my penname means.

There was Sirius's letter to Harry. Does anyone hate the fact that most post OOTP fics have Sirius saying don't blame yourself for my death? I mean how could Sirius know Harry would be partly responsible for it?

I am kind of sorry for making Sirius suicidal but I think it was justified and fairly accurate.

Latin:

Fateor: Reveal

Ut Eximo: To release

Anyways: new challenge:

At the start of every chapter I list something I do own. For chapter six I said: a pair of shoes, of which the left one has teflon on bottom. What is this about?

TTFN

Apothecary in training aka krc686


	8. Summer Day

I own nothing. Except a tube of lip ointment that I made myself. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Love You Forever belongs to Robert Munsch and Firefly books

The winner of the challenge is Maraudergrl99: They are curling shoes. That was me just trying to call attention to the fact that I am Canadian. Oh, and it also shows that I am right handed. The teflon would be on the right foot if I was left handed.

There is no point to my challenges. Just me trying to get more reviews.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_thoughts_

……………………………………………..

Chapter 8 Summer days

When Harry woke the next morning he decided to prioritize. Everything he learned yesterday wasn't going to change anytime soon but there were a few pressing matters.

One, he needed to find out about his power block. He wanted to know who put on and why it hadn't been noticed before. It was so pressing because he was unsure about all the accidental magic he was performing. He definitely didn't want to be near James if he got mad and lost control.

Two, he wanted to get some books on animal anatomy. Since he couldn't actually perform any intentional magic right now without getting a letter from the ministry, this was the only way to advance his research. Besides, a muggle bookstore would probably have as good, if not better books on this topic as Hogwarts did.

Three, he wanted to take James to a doctor to make sure he was healthy. If he was going to be going into hiding, there would be very little chance to get medical care. There was always Madam Pomfrey in an emergency but it would be best to be starting off healthy.

With this in mind, he got out the child development books he had gotten in Diagon Alley. He wanted to know what Sirius's imprint meant by unusually early magic. And what exactly did the block entail. He soon found a likely passage.

'A great source of debate in the wizarding world has to do with the proper age of magic development. Generally witches and wizards believe that if a child has not shown signs of magic by the age of eight they are a squib or a muggle. Most report their first accidental magic taking place between the age of four and six. The debate comes from the idea that the earlier a person's magic shows, the more powerful they are. Many powerful witches and wizards claim they exhibited magic while in infancy. There have been very rare claims of prenatal magic, that is magic displayed while in the womb. Pregnant mother claim that objects floated or shook when their baby kicked. Other women have claimed that lights circled their stomachs. These reports have never been confirmed.

What is known is the danger of a child exhibiting magic as a toddler. While in the stage known as the "terrible twos" children are often so overcome by emotion that they throw fits or hurt themselves to get their caregiver's attention. If a child does this with magic, it is highly dangerous, even potentially fatal. It is, therefore, standard practice for a child's magic to be bound until they pass this phase. Usually a parent will leave them bound until they are ready to receive magical education. Binding does not completely block magical ability; usually ninety percent of a child's power is blocked. And the binding rituals have a failsafe that the binding will eventually deteriorate on its own if the binding is not removed.

The ritual itself requires a male and a female who have some kind of emotional attachment to each other. The binding will work better if the emotion is of the same nature: that is romantic, friendly or family. Almost always this will be the child's parents. The combined power of the male and female must be greater than that of the child's. The ritual uses the binder's powers to redirect the child's power to place a hold on itself. After the original ritual is complete, the child's magic will do all the work of maintaining the binding. The exact instructions for the ritual can be found in "Rituals, a guide to performing protective ceremonies," as can the ritual for removing a binding'

The passage stopped there. _My binding was almost certainly placed by my parents. I wonder why no one ever noticed it before now. There's a pretty easy way to find that out. The important part is the wording. If the letter is intercepted I don't want to give anything away._

'Dear Professor Lupin,

How are you? I am writing to say that my relatives are treating me fine. We are actually getting along better than ever before. I miss my friends but all this time alone is letting me get my head in order.

I was looking through some of my class books and I came across a mention of binding children's magic. I wanted to know if my magic had been bound. And if anyone ever checked me to make sure it hadn't.

On that thought, did I perform any magic while with my parents? How young was I?

Recent event have made me think of the past more. Could we get together sometime? I would like to hear more stories of my parents. Not this summer though, my aunt and uncle are okay with me here but having an adult wizard turn up would make life more strained. I figured out that most of how they heave treated me is just because they are scared and they don't understand. It is best to just leave them be. Maybe you could come during a Hogsmede visit. Anyway, I hope you write back soon.

Harry Potter'

The letter was vague and quite uninformative. Recent events sounded like he was talking about the Department of Mysteries, when he actually talking about meeting his son. He asked all of the questions he needed to without revealing that he new he had a binding, which would be terrible information in the hands of Death Eaters. He also thought he had managed to prevent any visits to Number 4 by visible members of the order.

Harry proofread the letter and then sent it off with Hedwig. His relationship with his owl had changed recently. She seemed to resent having James around. She was wholly unimpressed by the baby and had gotten even more pompous than before. Harry hoped she would calm down soon.

Once the letter was sent Harry prepared James for a day on the town. He had figured since he was still disguised from going to Diagon Alley, now was the time to take James out.

So with James in a carrying sling on Harry's chest, and a large diaper on his shoulder Harry left Number 4 under his father's invisibility cloak. They again went to a back alley to become visible before heading into town.

When they arrived at the local walk in clinic, Harry signed in and sat down to wait. They were lucky to arrive soon after it opened. The wait wasn't too long. This was the kind of place frequented by service workers and their families. People like the Dursleys went to posh medical centers that required a two month appointment.

The check up itself was quite traumatic. First a nurse took James and weighed and measured him while Harry had to fill out a stack of forms. He was glad there was a notebook from the Hamiltons that had James's medical history. When the nurse brought James back she started interrogating Harry on how often he fed James and said that he was at the low end of the acceptable size chart for his age. She kept implying that Harry was doing something wrong.

Eventually Harry was on the last thread of keeping his temper and said, "Excuse me but take a look at me. I am sixteen and one of the smallest and skinniest in my class. My family are not big people. He eats as much as he wants. I am not going to force formula down his throat."

Harry took James from her as she gave a sniff and left. "I guess she thinks I am too young," Harry said to James. He wondered how often he would get that kind of reaction.

The next awful thing happened when the doctor came in. Immunizations. Harry had to hold James as he got three shots. James watched the needle curiously until it actually poked him. Then he screamed bloody murder. All the while Harry had to hold him still.

James took forever to stop crying. Harry felt like the world's worst dad. The doctor smiled at Harry's guilty face. It seemed like an expression he saw a lot, as he told Harry that the shots were important. James was still whimpering when they left the clinic.

Around the time James finally had cried himself to sleep, Harry noticed a shop he had always wanted to go into. A tattoo parlour.

Harry's guilt over the ordeal James had just gone through was the final push. If James could take those awful needles, Harry could stand a tattoo.

Harry scanned through all the options before finding three that he loved. A large black dog, a stag and a lily. He also thought it fair that James had three shots so Harry would get three tattoos. And this would be a way of keeping those who gave their lives for him close, without having to focus on them.

He had the artist put Padfoot on his upper arm and Prongs and Lily on his shoulder blades. He liked the idea of being able to show Padfoot if he wanted to, but to keep the other two hidden.

The process hurt more than he thought it would but he stuck it out. The artist put bandages on the tattoos and gave Harry a list of instructions for keeping them clean.

Next Harry found a bookstore. He picked up books on North American mammals, Wild Canines, and European predatory birds. He also picked up couple of huge encyclopedias of animals. He thought some of his friends might like to become animagi as well, and wanted have at least some reference for them to use. He then went to the Children's section of the store and picked up several dozen children's books for James. He thought it was the kind of thing they couldn't have too many of.

Now that Harry knew why it was happening, he really enjoyed the accidental bottomless bag that kept happening as he added the books to the diaper bag after leaving the store.

James was still sound asleep so Harry decided to buy some more baby things. He found a department store and started with clothes. He knew that he would have to have enough for James for just over a year, since they would be at Hogwarts and hiding. Harry didn't want his son the have the experiences that he had had with cloths that we the wrong size or falling apart.

Once Harry figured he had more than enough cloths for the baby, he went to through the diapers and hygiene section, getting diapers, and everything for changing them, shapoo, and soaps. All kinds of formulas and baby cereals were next. Basically, if it was in the baby section, Harry bought a years supply.

Next, he went to the furniture section. He picked out a changing table and dresser, in colours to match Dudley's old crib. He didn't see any point in replacing that, it was in fine shape and the Dursleys had no use for it. He also picked out some more bookshelves and a desk he could use while in the nursery. He thought he would end up doing most of his homework while with James. Then he chose a toy chest and enough stuffed animals and games to fill it. He really liked the baby swing he bought. It looked like it would have a similar feeling to flying.

Harry arranged to have all of the items he purchased there delivered to Number 4 later that day. He didn't think he would be able to put all of that stuff into the diaperbag unnoticed. And none of the furniture came assembled so the Order would think that the Dursleys were redoing the guest bedroom or something.

When all of this was complete, James started to wake up so Harry decided to take him to a park. He chose one that was a safe distance away from Privet Drive and laid James down on a baby blanket. Harry randomly chose a children's book from his purchases and laid down next to James on the grass. He opened up 'Love you Forever by Robert Munsch' and read

"A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

…………………………………………………….

A/N

Love you forever was my favorite book as a kid so I had to put it in here.

Random comment here. I am kind of surprised that no one has commented on my spelling. I only notice the so called errors because my word processor is American. I am not a great speller and do make mistakes but the ones I am think of are like colour, neighbour, and parlour. I used all of those in this chapter. The thing is: I am Canadian and those are the correct British spellings. The official way to spell things in Canada are the British spellings but since everyone uses American software we almost always spell the American way, that is without the u. I don't follow that policy. There's my random rant.

Okay, I am not going to do any contest this time. It doesn't seem to increase my reviews much anyway.

I will do a fic recommend of the day. So today I am going to say Shake Me by RoxieSnape. Harry has a child even younger than in my fic. It's good, it's finished, but it's rated M and it is HPOFC.


	9. Tonks

I own nothing. Except a DVD player without a remote. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_thoughts_

……………………………………………..

Chapter 9: Tonks

The next morning Harry was woken up by his freezing watch. As he ran his hands through his returned to black hair, he wondered how long James had been up. That was the biggest problem with the new trunk. Unless Harry was in James's nursery, he wouldn't hear the baby cry. Harry checked the time. It was pretty much when James normally woke up.

Harry quickly made his way into the trunk. By the red look to the babies face, he had been crying for at least a few minutes. Harry felt really guilty but knew that the only solution would be to actually sleep in the trunk too. If it happened again, he decided to set up a cot.

For once James didn't stop crying when Harry picked him up. Harry guilt made him think that James was mad at him, even though the baby books said that a three month old couldn't hold a grudge. Harry started pacing with the baby while the bottle warmed up. Then Harry noticed his feet were wet.

_What the? Where did all this water come from?_

The entire floor had about a half a centimeter of water covering it. Harry looked for the source. There was a glass on the desk that had water bubbling out of it. It seemed to be slowing down as James calmed down.

_I know that glass was half empty last night. I brought it down here when I was setting up the new furniture._

"So I guess your element must be water, huh? It's a good thing all the wizarding books are spelled against water damage. I'll just have to be careful when you are upset." Harry was amazed. His three month old son was capable of causing floods.

Once James got his bottle and had his diaper changed he fell asleep. It seemed that the magic he performed tired him out.

Harry made a conscious decision never to get mad about James's magic, he had too many memories of getting punished for things he had no control over. With the possible damage to his possessions and the trunk in the future, Harry knew there would be emotions in play. So even though he wasn't pleased, he chose to laugh. It was frustrating to have even more of his life out of control. Despair threatening, Harry knew that most of what he felt at the moment was just tiredness. As much as he loved his son, he wanted to go back to how things were two months ago, when Sirius was alive and he had no worries other than OWLs just like every other fifteen year old. He knew it wasn't an option.

Harry spent the next half an hour drying out the trunk with a bucket and towels. Once that was finished he left the trunk. Hedwig had returned, without a reply._Guess Remus is too busy to write. That's fine. Order is probably up to something. _

Harry went downstairs to grab something to eat. The Dursleys were out so he had the kitchen to himself. Until there was a knock at the door.

Still holding an apple, Harry opened the door to a girl he didn't recognize. She had blond hair and a heart shaped face. She looked about his age. He assumed she must be here to see Dudley. "Sorry, none of the Dursleys are here right now. Why don't you try back in a couple hours." He made to close the door.

"Wotcher, Harry." The gives nose changed to a pig snout and back again.

"Tonks! What are you doing here? I said I didn't want anyone to come here? Wait a minute, what do you always trip over at headquarters?" Harry said in a rush.

"A troll leg umbrella stand. Remus sent me, he got your letter and figured that I wouldn't be recognized. It's also a little too close to that time of the month for him to be out and about. He thought you could use some time out of the house and an Auror guard would be enough for a Muggle suburb. Also you need some better clothes." She paused there. "Why are all wet?"

"Err, plumbing problem. Just mopping up. So clothes shopping. Just let me change first. Come in, my relatives aren't here. Be back in a minute." Harry sprinted to his room and climbed into the nursery. James was still asleep. "Dobby."

With a crack Dobby appeared. "What is you needing, Harry Potter, sir?"

"An Order member showed up to take me shopping. Can you watch James for a few hours?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is most happy to watch Baby Potter."

"Thanks, Dobby. I'll be back in a few hours."

Harry then went back to his room and changed into his least ratty hand-me-downs. Returning to the living room, where Tonks sat. She handed him an envelope and a box. Harry asked, "What is this?"

"Remus's response and some pictures of you and your parents. He said he didn't realize how few you had, so he copied every picture he could find." Tonks seemed to be okay with waiting for Harry to read the letter so he opened it up.

'Dear Harry,

Sorry for not writing you sooner. I've been on assignment for the Order and just got back. I am as well as I can be this close to the full moon. I hope you are coping well.

As to your questions, I had thought your parents put a power block on you and contacted Dumbledore about it the summer before you started Hogwarts. He replied to let me know that at one point you accidentally apparated yourself and that no child with a power block would be able to do so. Apparently the Obliviators had quite a job covering that one up. They had to alter the memory of the six children who saw you do it. I was positive he was right when you produced a Patronus. Many adult wizards can't do that, so someone with only ten percent of their magic wouldn't be able to.

When did you first do magic? Well, your mother claimed that in the last month of pregnancy things would float around the bed at night. James slept like a log and never noticed and nothing ever happened during the day so we were all pretty skeptical. The first time I saw you do magic was summoning a toy at Christmas time when you were five month old.

One of my favorite memories is when I visited your parents when you were six months old. You were teething, and understandably upset about it. It took over an hour to get you to sleep. After James finally succeeded and came out of the room he looked like he had been in a wind tunnel. His hair was on end and his cloths were very rumpled. I went into your room to check on you and commented that it looked like a cyclone had gone through. James claimed that one had and it had stopped as soon as you fell asleep. I am sure that somebody set up a prank that if you cried very long the room would get messed up.

I also hope we can get together to talk sometime this year. I am very busy with the Order but I should be able to get to Hogsmede a couple times.

Remus Lupin'

_That sounds a lot like what just happened with James and the water. Of course, I am an air elemental. I would make cyclones and … inflate things. That's what happened to Aunt Marge three years ago. My element got out of control. James must be a water elemental. Oh, teething is going to be a nightmare. I will have to remember not to leave any kind of water in his room._

Harry told Tonks that he was going to look at the pictures look at the pictures later and asked if she would wait while he put the pictures in his room.

When Harry returned Tonks asked, "Is there anything specifically you would like to buy?"

"No, doesn't really matter. Anything you think I need will be fine." Harry really didn't care. He wore robes most of the year anyway.

At that answer Tonks bounce on her feet, "Oh this is going to be so much fun. Clothes and shoes and maybe a haircut. It's been so long since I did a makeover shopping trip." (A/N. I have the Clone High 'Makeover, Makeover' song in my head here.)

Harry watched her unenthusiastically. "Er, that's great Tonks."

At his tone she looked at him sharply. Then her eyes widened as if she was just seeing him for the first time. "Merlin, Harry, do you ever sleep?"

_I must look really terrible. _"Some, it's been a little difficult lately." That was no lie. Between nightmares and James he was getting really sleep deprived.

"Come on, lets have some fun. Take your mind off things. And I have instructions from Molly to take you out to dinner and fill you up."

They left the house and went to a downtown department store. Once there Tonks asked Harry, "What colours do you like? Any styles? Anything you want imparticular?"

"I like black. Err, I'm used to baggy and I don't really care very much. I have never really shopped for myself." Tonks got a determined look and started filling his arms with different shirts and pants to try on. She then pushed him into a change room and told him to come out and model every outfit.

Harry was dismayed when he got to a wifebeater shirt. When he left the change room, Tonks gasped. "What did you do to your arm?" She was pointing at his left upperarm, where it had a bandage covering the tattoo.

"Err, I got a tattoo, or three." Harry said cautiously.

"Really, when did you do that? The order guards haven't followed you into town at all."

"I kind of snuck out. I needed to clear my head and didn't want anyone following me." Harry was kind of ashamed. He new it seemed as if he went out frivolously but he couldn't admit why he had gone out.

"What's it of? Wait a minute did you say three?" Tonks was too observant for her own good.

"This one is Padfoot." Harry pulled the bandage away to show her. "I've got Prongs and Lily on my shoulder blades."

"That's fitting. Well expect a howler from Remus for sneaking out. I'm not going to lecture you, as I would have done the same thing. I can give you a spell to make the tattoos move, if you want. Now I am going to find you more cloths to go with the new bad boy look you've got going." Tonks was completely cheerful about all this and did hand him a note with an incantation for the tattoos.

Once Harry had tried on half of the store's clothes with Tonks okaying and ex-naying every item, they left. Harry had drawn the line at modeling the underwear. Harry now had a wide selection of sleeveless shirts, and tornup jeans, along with a collection of more conservative outfits. He really liked the leather jacket that Tonks had insisted on. Harry wore one of the punk outfits out of the store.

"Looking good there, Harry." Tonks said and winked at him.

"Umm, thanks Tonks. But I really don't see you that way. I mean you are really nice and all that but you are like ten years older than me I hope we can still be friends." Harry said all of this with a straight face. It was worth the effort to see Tonks sputter.

"Harry, I didn't. Err, you cute and all but.. You do know that would be illegal right?"

Harry lost it. The situation was too hilarious and Tonks blushed unnaturally brightly.

Tonks said, "I'm going to get you back for that. You're like the little brother I never had. And I'll have you know I am only eight years older than you. Besides, I've got my eye on Remus."

Now Harry was shocked, "Professor Lupin, really? How's that going?"

Tonks's face fell, "Not so well. He insists he is too old for me and with his condition. He mostly avoids me these days."

Harry became thoughtful at that. Remus had had a hard life and deserved all the happiness he could get. "Well, I am going to say that I am rooting for you. Tell Remus I approve as the unofficial little brother and all."

Tonks seemed to cheer up. "Never mind that now, you need shoes."

Harry looked at his feet and wiggled his toes. He could see his pinky toes through holes in the tops of his trainers. "Nah, these still have a few miles in them."

"No, they don't." Tonks led him into a sports store and made him pick out two pairs.

Shoe shopping complete, Tonks said it was time for lunch. Just as they were sitting down, Harry felt his watch go cold. He started to count. He knew Dobby was watching James but he didn't know how successful the elf would be. Harry only got to thirty before the watch warmed up. It was several minutes later that it went back to a normal temperature.

Tonks had noticed Harry's distraction. "What's up?"

Harry tried to dodge. "Nothing. Just lost in thought. What else do we have to do?"

"Well, you are going to eat everything you order, plus dessert, as per Molly's instructions and then you are going to get a hair cut. Any idea what you would like?" explained Tonks.

"Something shorter. Maybe my hair will look less messy that way. And its time for a change." Harry was actually thinking of what would happen when James got to stage of grabbing things. Longer hair was too big a target.

"You know the girls go wild for messy hair. Looks like you just got out of bed and enjoyed it." Now Harry blushed.

Thankfully the waitress arrived to take their orders, ending that embarrassing line of talk. Harry knew if they got into a contest to make each other blush, he would lose.

"Remus said you wanted to hear some stories from when you were little. I've got one." Tonks informed Harry.

"Did you meet me when I was a baby?"

"Yeah, once. Sirius held a BBQ the spring after you were born and, because of the maturing nature of his friends, he made it a family event. So my mom and I came. They were really good friends back in the day. So I was nine years old and really excited. All little girls love to stare at babies. When we got there, the men and women split up. Your mom had you for a while. I got to see her change your diaper."

Harry blushed here and Tonks laughed. "Anyway, after a while your dad came and took you. I snuck out to see what the men were up to. They had gotten out their brooms and were flying. Well, naturally your dad took you up. He stayed pretty low but the faster he went the louder you squealed. Even then you liked flying. So eventually your mom came out to check on you. Lily just about killed James. That is where I learned to be wary of a red head's temper. So she shouted at him for a couple minutes before he just grabbed her and kissed her until he thought she would have forgotten why she was angry. Didn't work. As soon as he let her go, she slapped him and went inside. But I did see them kissing again later, once he had groveled enough.

Harry was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. That was how he wanted to remember his parents. The happy and passionate couple at a BBQ.

Once Tonks had forced him to eat dessert they left the restaurant.

"So, hairdresser?" Harry didn't know what wanted so he let her pick his style. But he did put his foot down at blue tips on his hair.

Harry ended up with short spiky hair. He was a little upset that his fringe wouldn't cover his scar anymore but he figured it would grow out in a couple months.

Once that was complete Tonks took him home. Harry checked on James and let Dobby go before sitting on his bed to look through the photos from Remus.

…………………………………….

**A/N**

Sorry it took longer. I have an exam tomorrow so I have been doing more studying than writing. Also I read some heavy angst last night and it put me in the wrong mood to write Tonks and the picnic story.

Thanks for the reviews. I am finally going to do some replying.

Thanks to: enb2004, hpnut1, Crazy-Kiracat39, SiriusBlackLivesOn, JessicaLRobbins, Laura Hisel, xRosePetalx, choirsinger, Wauzi, WannaBeGreen, mina Jacobs, swanpride, PlayKate (I love that name, I didn't get it til I typed it), Chelsey89, Anon Nona, Kapri of the Kanohi Menai, kyubbi-kun, hushpuppy22, moonlight2007, DeliaDee.

Maraudergrl99: The u thing is actually supposed to be a spin off of the American Revolution with the mindset of Americans are going to be different just because they can. I think it will be at least 2 chapters before he leave privet drive. I could be wrong though. This chapter wasn't really intended until I realized Harry never bought anything for himself. And I really like Tonks.

Ibfan: The homonym thing always bugs me. There, their, they're will cause me to do a double take if it's wrong. I might miss one occasionally but I don't have a beta, so it happens.

Panther73110: In my mind his parents did the power block on and you will have to wait to find out about Neville. There is a reason I say that Padfoot will instruct Harry in how to make a fateor

I am going to do another challenge. Again no point just wanna see what people are thinking. So, now that I have finally decided the answer: **Where is Harry going after Privet Drive?** I will tally where everyone says. You won't find out until he gets there.

Random fic rec of the day: **Undead Secrets by Bitter Icing**. Its completely different than most of what I have read. Completely AU. A little angsty but so good.

This is the longest chapter yet by about 500 words.

Now for a stats update: almost 17000 words, 9 chapters, 45 reviews, a hair shy of 5000 hits, 2 c2s, 19 favorites, 43 alerts, plus for me 4 favorites and 6 alerts as an author. Since this is my only story, it counts.

I see less than 1 in 100 hits leaves a review. Whatever, I am really more excited for the hit count but if you've got something to say, let me know.


	10. Letters and Pictures

I own nothing. Except a couple boxes of Kraft Dinner. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_thoughts_

Dedicated to: xRosePetalx, the person who wrote the 50th review

…………………………….

Chapter 10 Letters and Pictures

Harry spent the next couple of days making a picture wall in James's nursery. He used the shots that Remus had given him, as well as some that he had had before. He even went back to the Hamiltons to ask Mrs. Hamilton for a picture of Sheila. He wanted James to know where he came from.

One section of the wall was papered with photos of the Marauders. It went from some gangly eleven year olds to their graduation photos to shots of them as adults. There were pictures of Lily and James, their wedding and random candids taken through the years. Harry even managed to find one of his mother from before her Hogwarts years, in a box in the attic of Number 4. Harry then had pictures of himself and his friends. Most had been given to him by Colin Creevey, so the first year was a bit bleak, except for a couple Quidditch photos. Harry put the few photos of Sheila in this section.

Once the wall was complete, Harry took to holding James up to the photos and pointing out the people in them and talking about Grandpa James and Grandma Lily and their friends Padfoot and Moony. He told James all the stories he knew of them. He also pointed out Uncle Ron and Uncles Fred and George. He described the Burrow and its inhabitants, including the gnomes. He talked about Aunty Hermione and her love of books and how she would like to read him stories. When he talked about Ginny, he didn't give her any honourarium. He didn't know which to use, aunt just seemed wrong. As he talked about his friends, he missed them more. Harry had this whole life and destiny that he couldn't share with them, so as he talked he felt closer and farther away at the same time.

Harry also bought a camera off Dudley. Dudley had gotten about five for different birthdays and Christmases, so it wasn't as if he would miss it. Dudley also agreed to go pick up film for Harry, so that he wouldn't have to sneak out. Harry thought he might have asked for too many rolls but they wouldn't go bad or anything. Harry took pictures of James sleeping, playing, and even in the bathtub. A few times he set up the camera on a timer so that they would have pictures of the both of them. Harry looked forward to getting back to Hogwarts, just so that he could make the potion to develop them.

Harry spent most of his time in the trunk with James. When the baby was awake they played with Golden Snitches, read from children's books, or sometimes Harry read aloud from his studying books. He figured since the baby had no clue what he said it didn't make any difference.

Sometimes, Harry just lay on the floor with James. Harry liked how the baby looked when he was on his stomach and held his head up. In this position, James would always look at Harry and smile. When Harry held the infant to his chest, James tended to reach up and grab Harry's nose, to which Harry just had to make a funny noise. When Harry pulled James's hand away he would blow a loud raspberry on it to make the baby squeal.

James also loved the baby swing. It nearly always put him to sleep though.

When the baby slept, Harry studied. He learned of wards and wandless magic. He also researched his power block to see what he would have to do to remove it and what he would have to do afterwards. Control was going to be a problem. If his power was going to multiply by ten, simple spells would be hard to get right and offensive spells could be dangerous.

He mainly focused on his animagus forms. He decided to transform in order the order they had been listed on the fateor. He figured they were in the order they best applied to him, since the wolf seemed perfect but the raccoon was just a little off. He figured the most difficult would be the red kite, since it was a bird, not a mammal. He looked forward to flying with wings though. He had some daydreams about taking off from the Astronomy Tower.

Eventually, Harry received his OWL results. They were surprising to say the least. He got Os in everything. Including history of magic, which he hadn't even written half of the exam.

_That's just stupid. Another case of my fame giving me stuff I don't want._ _I would have rather found out how I actually did on the exams. Maybe I can ask McGonagall to see if they will release my real results._

Harry wrote a formal request to his head of house to appeal the results of his exams saying they were blatantly wrong. Probably the first time someone ever asked for a lower mark.

Harry also received quite a few other letters over the next couple of weeks. Some from Ron, saying he was 'you know where' and still cleaning up. Hermione would be there soon, once she and her parents got back from holiday to Italy. Ron also hinted at a plan to pick Harry up on his birthday. Harry knew that day was his deadline to leave Number 4 as well, so that was fine. Except…

Two things. One, James. If he went to HQ where all the Weasleys were, he wouldn't be able to sneak off often enough to take care of James. That meant Dobby would have to be called on to do so. That was fine, and Dobby wouldn't mind but Harry wasn't ready to be a part time Dad yet. He felt like he had just met his son but at the same time that they had known each other forever. The thought of only having odd moments to sneak into the trunk to watch his son sleep broke his heart. He would miss so much. Already James was on the brink of being able to roll over.

The other thing was headquarters itself. It was Sirius's house. The thought of that horrible, dank building was bad. But to be there and expect to see Sirius around every corner was horrible. It would be torture to his slowly healing soul.

And he was healing. He focused on James and his friends, memories of the DA and Quidditch games. There was so much in his life that was good to focus on instead of looking only at what he had lost.

So he couldn't go to Number twelve Grimmauld Place. The problem was where to go? Above all it had to be safe, for him and James. Two, he had to be able to use magic. He needed to do the ritual to remove his power block and to relearn control. If he did this once school started he would lose all of his advantages of surprise and he might hurt someone accidentally. That in mind he came up with a plan …

……………………….

The morning of July 30th dawned brightly. Harry once again had brown hair and brown eyes, with makeup covering his scar. He had written notes to the Weasleys and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's said:

'To Professor Dumbledore

I am writing to inform you that I will not be going to headquarters this summer. I have come up with a different arrangement. I swear that I will be completely safe.

I would like to apologize for what I did to your office. My temper got away from me but that is no real excuse. I would be willing to pay for anything you have to replace.

Second, regarding the matter we discussed on that occasion, I am coming to accept it. I am also learning to deal with the fact that you are a general leading a war. You do not have the luxury of considering what I want. I agree that you have made mistakes but you have a great deal of responsibility.

On the note of you being the leader of our side in this war, I have information you can use. Do you remember when Remus Lupin wrote to say that he thought my parents had blocked my powers and you responded with, I was too powerful to have been blocked? You were wrong. I have a power block that is rapidly weakening. I am performing an alarming amount of accidental magic and it is getting to the point of being dangerous. Part of why I am going away is to take off the block and learn control. Be sure to make allowances for my true power in whatever battle plans you have.

As I have come to accept that you are the general in this war, I am also coming to accept that the final battle is mine. This is a hard thing deal with. I hope you will respect my privacy and not waste the Order's resources looking for me. You won't find me and I swear I will be safe.

Until September 1st,

Harry J. Potter'

Harry sent Hedwig off with the note to Dumbledore and one for the Weasleys. He told her to stay with the Weasleys until school started, then to meet him at Hogwarts. Harry put his shrunken trunk in his pocket and climbed under his invisibility cloak to sneak past the Order guard before calling the Knight Bus.

…………………………………….

A/N

That's it. Chapter 10

The Challenge: **Where is Harry going after Privet Drive?** I will tally where everyone says. You won't find out until he gets there.

So far: Burrow 3 guesses

As I've said, I know where he is going and this is not to have me decide. This is just to see who can guess it right.

Thanks to: xRosePetalx, Maraudergrl99, hpnut1, JessicaLRobbins, GinnyLover14 for the reviews.

Random fic recommendation: **Beast Lord** by Ceres K Its HPGW. Post OOTP. Really funny.

Stats update: about 18700 words, 10 chapters, 50 reviews, 6260 hits, 2 c2s, 50 alerts

Well, if you have any thoughts, let know. Until I write again,

Apothecary in training


	11. A Different Point of View

I own nothing. Except a smiley face piggy bank. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_thoughts_

I did a slight edit on the last chapter after it initially went up, Just in case you missed it: Harry got his OWL results and got Os in everything. As a result he sent a letter to McGonagall to appeal the marks.

……………………….

Chapter 11: A Different Point of View

The summer at Grimmauld Place had been boring. It was a lot like the year before. Mysterious people showing up, too much cleaning and largely unsuccessful attempts to spy by the teenagers. There were a few changes though.

For one, Kreacher had died. When the Order returned from the Battle of the Department of Mysteries they found him dead in the hall in front of Mrs. Black's portrait. He had beheaded himself. A few days later Remus Lupin had, in his grief, cast a fire spell on Mrs. Black's portrait, so the wall there was scorched but silent.

Much of life revolved around waiting for Harry to write. Every third day the household was tense until Hedwig arrived, or someone flooed to say that they had received the letter. Not that the letters were that informative. Harry rarely said anything more than he was being treated fined fine and was reading.

One day in mid-July Tonks came to Headquarters saying that she had spent the day with Harry. She was then interrogated for hours by Ron and Ginny about him. She told them that Harry looked really tired and that he admitted to not getting much sleep and having nightmares. This made them more concerned, since Ron said he had been having nightmares since the third task of the TriWizard and had never complained.

Tonks also hinted about a few changes that Harry had made but refused to say anything further. She did tell Remus in private what she was talking about. At first Remus was mad, saying it was dangerous but later he seemed to think whatever Harry had done was kind of funny so the two students weren't too concerned.

Hermione joined them in the last week of July. She was tanned and talking about all the old wizarding things she had seen in Rome. She had even picked up a few Italian words that she liked to use. Ron was always distracted when she did this. Hermione refused to tell Ron what they meant. But she did inform Ginny they were rather rude words.

On the 30th of July there was quite a bit of excitement. Everyone had been preparing for Harry's arrival the next day. Mostly this consisted of Ron cleaning his room, since Harry would be staying with him and Mrs. Weasley preparing for Harry's birthday party. Most of the Order was to come and celebrate with them. In times like this, people would use any excuse to party. The twins had also gotten together some of their best merchandise to show their investor.

All this was halted when Hedwig turned up with a letter. Ginny was the one to receive it before Hedwig flew to a perch in the drawing room. Ginny thought this odd, if she was waiting for a reply she would have stood on the back of a chair. And Harry knew he would be coming there the next day, so why write a letter? She was answered as soon as she read the letter.

'Dear Weasleys, Hermione and whatever Order members are around

I am sorry to be writing like this, but I am not coming to headquarters this summer. I am also not staying with my relatives. In fact, by the time you are reading this I will be in hiding. Do not waste your time looking for me. You won't find me. Dumbledore knows part of why I am doing this.

To my friends, I am sorry for this. I really would like to spend time with you this summer but I can't go to headquarters. I'm sure you'll yell at me in September, and you will see me then, but please respect what I am doing.

I also give you all permission to keep using my house. Yes, I had Sirius's will read and he left his property to me. Remus Lupin should be getting notice of what he inherited any day now. You also have permission to use any Potter or Black property that you know of. Put whatever protections are needed on the houses and use them. Oh, and a smart person, probably Hermione or Professor Lupin will have realized by now, that this means I have snuck out to go to Gringotts. This shouldn't come as a big surprise as Tonks will have told you that I have snuck around Little Whinging at least once. So until I see you in September, I wish you the best of luck. We can all use more luck.

Harry J. Potter'

Ginny swore and yelled into the kitchen, "Mom, you can stop getting ready for the birthday party. Harry isn't coming."

"What!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

Ginny mutely handed her the note.

Mrs. Weasley spent several minutes muttering about "irresponsible" and "influences" before she managed to say "We have to contact Professor Dumbledore about this."

Ron walked into the room, "He's in the fire so, I'm pretty sure he knows whatever you are talking about."

Every Order member at Headquarters went into the kitchen, while Ron, Hermione and Ginny met in Ron's room to talk.

Once Ginny had told the other two the contents of the letter, Hermione said, "What was Harry thinking? He is in so much danger."

"I don't think he is in that much danger. He usually has a pretty good idea of what he is getting into. If Harry says that he is safe, he's probably right," replied Ginny.

Ron said, "I don't understand why he is keeping this from us. I mean he could have sent a separate letter to us saying where he is going."

Ginny snorted at that. "And have Snape or Professor Dumbledore pull it out of our heads the next time we meet their eyes? I mean, Harry knows what Legilimency is. It's better if no one knows at all. If he is safe, then no one will be able to find him, Order or Death Eaters. And we'll see him in a month anyway."

"I just wish he would have told Professor Dumbledore where he was going. I mean Dumbledore goes out of his way to protect Harry," said Hermione.

"I think it is time for Harry to be able to make some decisions on his own. He turns sixteen tomorrow. As long as he doesn't get hurt in the process, there won't be any real harm from his little vacation to wherever he is." Ginny was the most trusting in Harry's ability to hide. She also understood how the past year had affected Harry because of her experiences with Riddle's diary. Harry might still be a child in years, but in experiences he was decades ahead of his classmates.

……………….

A/N

That's it. Short chapter, I know but I have exams.

The Challenge: **Where is Harry going after Privet Drive?** I will tally where everyone says. You won't find out until he gets there. I am not making up a new location.

So far: Burrow 3 guesses

Hogwarts Express 1

Godric's Hollow 1

Hogwarts 2

Ministry of Magic 1

Potter Manor 1

A place he inherited 1

Chamber of Secrets 1

Thanks to: SiriusBlackLivesON, panther73110, txspenguin, enb2004, GinnyLover14, Orion Lineus Black, munchnzoey, maraudergrl99, Kawaii Yashie, xRosePetalx, Rainbow2007, smallvillewanabe4561, hpnut1, and hushpuppy22

This breaks 20 000 words for the story. Not bad for 1 week. Oh and almost 8000 hits.


	12. Home, sweet, home

I own nothing. Except a smiley face piggy bank. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Thoughts_

_S Parceltongue s_

Sorry everyone, I took a couple of days off to study for a massive midterm. I am on break now, so now the only reason to stop is for writer's block, in which case I will be writing chapters out of order.

………………………

Chapter 12: Home, sweet, Home

Harry stepped off the Knight bus in Hogsmeade. He donned his invisibility cloak before sneaking into the basement of Honeydukes and using the humped back witch's passageway into Hogwarts. Once beyond the statue and in the halls of Hogwarts, Harry proceeded down one story and into a certain second floor bathroom, which just happened to be haunted. Harry ignored the sniffling noises coming from the bathroom stalls and quietly hissed _s Open s_ to the bathroom sink.

Harry jumped into the open pipe and quietly slid down, deep underneath the castle into the Chamber of Secrets.

Once again he reached the bottom covered in slime and stepped on a rat's head. _Note to self, spend time and practice some cleaning spells in this area._

Harry then had to levitate some rocks to widen the opening that Ron had made in the rock fall three years previously. He has amazed he had ever fit through that. But, he was only twelve at the time and quite malnourished. Ginny had been a tiny little thing back then as well. Just thinking about her at that age made him reminisce about blushes and butter dishes getting in the way of elbows.

Harry shook himself out of that line of thought and proceeded onto the main chamber. He enlarged his trunk as far away from the dead Basilisk as possible. The thing didn't seem to have decomposed at all. Probably too poisonous for anything to grow on it.

He needed to get himself cleaned up before James woke up. Harry scourigfied himself and changed his clothes, taking a fresh set from the first compartment. He wore comfortable jeans and a black sleeveless shirt that said 'A farce to be reckoned with.' Tonks had enjoyed choosing humorous shirt slogans. The bandages were long since off his tattoos, even though he still had to moisturize them, he enjoyed having them out in the open. Once he had finished the disconcerting task of changing in full view of the creepy Slytherin statue and dead snake, he went into the seventh compartment.

It was slightly more crowded, as he had added a cot for himself to the décor. James was just beginning to stir. Harry loved to be there when the baby woke up. It was a slow process involving many yawns and some blinking until the boy finally started looking around for someone. His face would always light up like a Christmas tree when he saw his father.

At the smile Harry scooped up his son and started talking about the place he was going to set up, while he heated up James's bottle. It was a lot easier now that he could do it with magic, than it had been at Privet Drive.

Harry had come up with his summer plan a couple of weeks ago. The main hitch in his situation, aside from James, was that he needed to be able to do magic, without the ministry finding out. All the little things he had done in the muggle world went unnoticed, since the ministry only monitored wands. And at a place with a lot of magic in the air, they were unable to detect wands at all. That's how they never knew about all the illegal animagi running around. The transformation was done without a wand.

So Harry knew that he would not be detected doing magic at Hogwarts. The problem was having no one find him there. He could have used a place like the room of requirement but Dumbledore knew about it, so might have a way to check it. It came down to have one place that he was the only one who could get into it. Well not the only one, Voldemort could, but Harry couldn't see him walking into the school anytime soon.

The Chamber of Secrets seemed like a terrible place to bring an infant, but Harry had a great nursery in his trunk and he would using the construction and household magic books to set up something nice in the Chamber itself so that James could come out.

After playing for a while, James went down for his afternoon nap. Harry left the nursery and went into the main Chamber before calling for Dobby.

"What is Mister Harry Potter needing of Dobby?" said the house elf as he popped in. He then took a look at his surroundings. "Where is master and Dobby?"

"We're in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts. And I was wondering if you could bring me some food. I am planning on staying down here for the rest of the summer and I was hoping I could get food from the house elves."

"Yes, Dobby is most happy to feed Harry Potter." Dobby then popped out for a moment and returned with a platter of food. "Does Harry Potter need anything else?"

"No, that is pretty much it. Could you do your best to not have anyone know I am in the school? They wouldn't be able to get to me but it is best if I just stay missing for the next bit." Harry trusted this elf but he wasn't sure if the other elves would have to answer Dumbledore's questions, since they were bound to Hogwarts.

"Dobby is not telling anyone of Harry Potter whereabouts." With that said, Dobby popped away and Harry scourgified the floor in front of him and sat down to eat his meal.

Once Harry was finished eating, he decided to take on the giant snake corpse on the other side of the room. He knew he couldn't just vanish it, who knew what kind of potions you could make from a basilisk. He dug through his books to find a book which talked about the method to collect ingredients for potions. It was an old advanced tome, and it didn't have anything directly about a basilisk but it did have great details on dealing with large poisonous snakes so Harry figured it was close enough.

Harry had to call Dobby again to ask him to find some crystal and glass jars, wooden boxes, and other vessels suitable for potions ingredients. With several cases of such empty containers, Harry put on his dragonhide gloves and set to work.

He filled the crystal jars with venom, the glass ones with organs and the wooden boxes with skin and tissue so that they could dry out to be turned into powder. It took hours and Harry was just finishing when James woke up from his nap. Harry once again had to change his clothes before entering the nursery.

Harry was exhausted. He hadn't done that much work since school let out. He tiredly took care of his son and read to him before deciding to go to bed early. He knew that the next day he would have to undo his powerbind. The book he found the ritual in said that it would be more effective if done on the day of his birth. There seemed to be some Arithmancy involved in finding other dates, but it was way over Harry's head. He just knew tomorrow was the day to do it. Harry collapsed onto his cot to get some sleep.

…………………..

Sleep didn't last long. Soon it was 3 am and James was hungery. Harry fed and changed his son but the baby did not want to stop crying. He didn't have a fever and didn't seem to be in any pain so he wasn't sick. Harry even dug out 'The Healer's Helpmate' and did a diagnostic charm to confirm this. No the baby wasn't sick.

Harry tried pacing, rocking, and swinging but it didn't work. Harry tried to read to the baby but James didn't calm down.

Harry eventually took to pacing and saying things like, "Please be quiet. Just go to sleep, James." It didn't help.

After what seemed like forever to Harry the baby wasn't stopping. Harry was getting frustrated.

_Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong? Come on, I had a long day. It's my birthday you don't need to be doing this to me, James. Merlin, will he ever just shut up._

Eventually Harry got so mad that he just had to put the baby in his crib and sit across the room. He was tired and frustrated. His temper was to the breaking point but above all he didn't want to hurt his baby. So he had to stay away from him. Harry sat at his desk and stared at the crib. Eventually, the baby exhausted himself and fell asleep. Harry stayed at the desk and felt like the worst parent in the world.

………………………….

A/N

That's it for that chapter. No, Harry isn't a bad dad but everyone will have those terrible moments where they are scared they will loose their temper. I just had to do that to him once.

The Challenge: **Where is Harry going after Privet Drive?** I will tally where everyone says. You won't find out until he gets there. I am not making up a new location.

Final count: Burrow 3 guesses

Hogwarts Express 1

Godric's Hollow 4

Hogwarts 2

Ministry of Magic 1

Potter Manor 2

A place he inherited 5

Chamber of Secrets 3

Black Manor 1

Shrieking Shack 1

Room of Requirement 1

Australia or Brazil 1

And we now know the answer is: Chamber of Secrets so congrats to: Potterworm, spd3432, Hushpuppy22

Thanks to SiriusBlackLivesOn, Prie, Emerallde, Guardian-Fawkes-Phoenix, hpnut1, spiritualwitch, spd3432, Jedi Knight 3, Rainbow2007, Laura Hisel, tlfsjs, Potterworm, FrostyAKE, xRosePetalx, smallvillewanabe4561, Pleasurably Deranged, dragon-warlord, Maraugergrl99 for the reviews

Emerallde: Harry goes to Brazil in "Bungle in the Jungle" – I warn it is rated M.

**Random fic Rec: **I am reading "Harry Potter and the Loss of Innocence" by Ioci and its sequel right now. Long and good. Lots of Angst HPGW

Tally: almost 22000 words (hard to tally before the chapter goes up), 12 chapters, 82 reviews, 10401 hits, 7 c2s, 27 favs, 75 alerts.

So I will sign off for the night:

"May you have warm words on a cold evening,

A full moon on a dark night,

And the road downhill all the way to you door."

Apothecary in training


	13. Harry's birthday

I own nothing. Except all three Lord of the Rings movies on DVD. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Thoughts_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

………………….

Chapter 13 Harry's Birthday

Harry woke up the next morning stiff. He had fallen asleep sitting at his desk watching James. The baby in question was just starting to stir. James lifted his head and gave Harry a sloppy smile.

_Guess he isn't holding last night against me. Wonder if he can even remember what happened._

Harry picked up his son and cuddled him to his chest. He felt that every squeeze was an apology. He knew he was probably blowing it out of proportion but he felt really guilty for making the baby cry himself to sleep.

"Hey James, it's Daddy's birthday today. Not that it means that much but I don't turn sixteen everyday. Probably won't get any presents or cards since owls can't get in here. Doesn't really matter, I know my friends are thinking about me and that's what really counts." Harry continued to talk to his son for a while. He even told the story of Hagrid giving him his Hogwarts letter and giving Dudley a pig tale.

Once James went down for a nap, Harry left the trunk to set up for the Ut Eximo ritual to unbind his powers. He brewed a quick and easy potion in the sixth compartment of his trunk. The potion was required to release the binding. Harry got nervous when he noticed the pain dulling components of the brew, such as distilled willow bark.

Harry also drew a large diagram on the stone floor of the chamber of secrets. He had to use a point me spell to find north and then draw two triangles in the shape of an hourglass, north and south. Once the triangles were completed, he put vials, each containing 10 drops of his own blood, inside the triangles, before standing at the point where they met. He drank the potion and felt it burn its way down his throat. Once he felt the warmth of it spreading to his whole body, he chanted, three times, "absentis vir in north , solvo tutela. absentis mulier in meridianus , solvo redimio."

Harry fell to his knees as a wave of pain came upon him. It felt like every artery in his body was being forced to expand very quickly. He gasped for ten seconds before the potion took the feeling down to a dull ache. It didn't compare to the Cruciatus curse but it certainly was unpleasant. Harry just knelt there for several minutes until the pain completely went away. It was replaced by a different feeling. It tingled under his skin. It was almost itchy, but it felt complete, like he was somehow more whole than he had been before. It was a great feeling.

Harry decided to test his power out. He pulled his wand and cast wingardium leviosa on a rock. It zoomed up and hit the ceiling.

_I guess that was too much power. I'm going to have to practice pulling it back._

Harry then spent an hour learning how to control just the levitating charm. The biggest problem was just figuring out how to pull back. He managed every other first year spell within the hour after that. He was just starting on second year Transfiguration when James woke up.

A few hours later, Harry was setting up for his second ritual of the day. This one would increase his reading and comprehension. Harry thought this would compliment the Mind Arts ability that had been listed on his fateor.

This ritual called for a circle to be drawn and a half a litre of his own blood to be used as a sacrifice. The magic in this kind of ritual required a price. Since blood was the source of life, it was ideal. In the unbinding ritual the blood had been a stand in for his parents, since they almost certainly the ones to do the binding. Any blood relative of theirs would have worked but since they didn't have any magical relatives other than Harry, blood had to be used.

The reading ritual did not cause Harry any pain, but it did alter his perception. To test the effectiveness of this spell he read every book he had on rituals in under an hour. He was pretty much limited by the speed he could turn the pages and he could quote the books verbatim.

Harry was slightly embarrassed when he realized both the rituals he had done were considered dark magic by the Ministry. They classified anything involving blood as dark. Harry didn't really agree with this definition. No one was hurt by his rituals. He would have called a spell that required an animal sacrifice dark but something involving consensual bleeding, not. There were also rituals that required a human sacrifice and Harry definitely disagreed with those.

Harry sat down to supper with this debate running through his head. He realized that he couldn't rely on any one or group to tell him what was right and wrong. He needed to decide for himself in any given situation. He had to come up with a baseline though. He did think that he was wrong to have attempted to cast the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix Lestrange after Sirius had died. If he had been doing it to prevent someone on his side from being hurt, it might have been acceptable but he had acted out of revenge and that didn't excuse it. A better thing would have been to try to cast a cutting spell on her wand arm so that she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else magically ever again.

Harry was distracted all evening by these thoughts. He did remember to thank Dobby for the small birthday cake the elf had brought. Harry wished his friends were here to share it with him but, for now, he had to chose being with his friends or his son and the baby won the contest hands down.

Harry spent his evening reading. He was paging through his Transfiguration texts when he saw a reference to Animagi and remembered Sirius's note. He got it out and activated it.

'Mister Padfoot presents the Marauder's guide to becoming an animagus.

Have you completed the Ut Eximo ritual?'

Harry, with his wand on the parchment said, "Yes."

'Have you researched your forms?'

"I completely did the wolf but I am not ready for the other two yet."

'The wolf will be the easiest, as it came first on your abilities list. You should do them one a time. The next step is to go into a trance and meet your animal. You will see all three but focus on the wolf and ignore the others for now. The key to the trance is to focus on your magical core. The animals are attached to it. Return to this parchment when you have finished.'

So Harry took the parchment and moved into the sixth compartment of his trunk. He wasn't entirely sure what would happen and he wanted as much protection as possible. The entire room was warded against magical and physical damage and was completely separate from the nursery.

Harry sat in the middle of the room and closed his eyes. He searched himself for his magical core. Because of the unbinding ritual, he had felt it that morning. He knew it was in his chest between his heart and spine, at least that is where the swelling had spread from that morning. He found a big elongated mass of light. It was swirling colors of mostly yellow with swirls of red and green mixed in. He focused on it and was suddenly thrown into a dream.

He sat in the middle of a big field of grass. The sky was clear and open. He could see a bird circling and diving above him. He looked around. There was a raccoon darting around, trying to hide in the grass. But closer by there was a big black wolf pacing. He followed Padfoot's advice and focused on it. As his attention grew, the wolf came closer. It was menacing as it stalked smoothly. Harry wasn't worried about it hurting him, since he knew it was a part of himself. Harry saw its markings; it was solid black except for its green eyes and a white lightning bolt on its muzzle. It seemed he couldn't get away from his scar even as an animal. Harry studied how it moved and its mannerisms. It eventually came to a stop directly in from of him and sat to look him directly in the eyes. Harry instinctively knew what to do.

He cast Legilimens on the wolf. He got flashes of its thoughts. The wolf seemed to focus on those around him as 'pack' or 'enemies.' He had very strong thoughts of James as 'pup.' The wolf himself didn't really have any sense of right and wrong. He lived for his pack. If it helped the pack, it was what should be done.

Once Harry understood the wolf, he ended the spell. The wolf laid down and licked Harry's hand. Harry left the dream and returned to his body. He checked his watch. About 20 minutes had passed, but it had seemed like a lot longer.

Harry returned to Padfoot's guide and told it that he had met the wolf.

'Can you picture him clearly in your head? And are you positive that you will be able to force your will over his mind? This is where the biggest danger in Animagus transformation is. You have to be able to overpower the animal in order to return to being a human.'

"I am sure I can control the wolf."

'Then stand up and wandlessly and silently cast Abeo. This will take a lot of willpower. You will have to focus intently.'

Harry stood, set the parchment out of the way and focused his magic and mind into the spell and thought _Abeo_. At once his body started changing. His arms and legs shortened while his torso lengthened. His hipbone changed so that he was forced onto all fours. His body grew a coat of back fur. Once everything stopped moving Harry took a breath. It was then he realized that he wasn't in control of his body. The wolf had made him start pacing. It definitely did not like being in a confined area and was getting more agitated by the minute.

Harry spent a couple of minutes forcefully trying to take control of the wolf's body. It was unsuccessful. He then realized where his strength over the wolf was. The mind.

_It will be better for our pack if I control our body._

_W Pack? W_

_Yes, and I need to be in control to take care of our pup._

_W Our pup?W_

_Yes. Will you agree to let me be in control of our body from now on so that I can take care of our pack and our pup._

The wolf didn't think anything to Harry for a minute. Then it thought to him, _W Yes, you take care of our pack and pup. I will watch. W._

With that the wolf let go of control of the animal body. Harry took over. He made sure that he was comfortably able to move the wolf around before casting Abeo again to return to his human form.

Harry stood up and took a deep breath. He had nearly panicked when he couldn't control the wolf. Harry returned to Sirius's guide and told it that he had completed the transformation into the wolf.

'Congratulations. You will need to come up with a Marauder name for each of you forms once you have become them. Return here when you are ready to become the next animal.'

Harry shut down the map and returned to the nursery. The biggest shock of the night was when Harry looked at James, he heard a voice in the back of his head.

_W Pup. W_

…………………….

A/N

Translation absentis vir in north , solvo tutela, absentis mulier in meridianus , solvo redimio: means missing man in the north, release protection, missing woman in the south, release binding

Abeo: change

Randomness: the potion I mentioned would have the effects I wrote: Willow bark contains Salicylic Acid, which is the active metabolite of Aspirin. It would also burn like crazy, since it is a fairly strong acid. Trivia: Aspirin was synthesized because the natural willow bark tea burned a hole in the esophagus if drunk regularly.

Okay I need Marauder names for Harry's forms. I have an idea for the wolf but no clue for the others. If I hear something I like better for the wolf I will use it. So this is the challenge: **Suggest Marauder names for a wolf, a red kite, and a raccoon. **If I use the name you suggest I will credit you at the start of the chapter that it first appears in.

Random Fic Rec: Harry Potter and the Dimensional Trunk by Ophiucus is in my top 5 all time fics. Great 6th year story. You can probably see a lot of influences from it on this story.

Tally: 24000 words, 13 chapters, 90 reviews, 12134 hits, 8 c2s, 31 favs, 82 alerts

May you live as long as you want,

And never want as long as you live.

Apothecary in Training


	14. In the Chamber

I own nothing. Except a two year old cell phone. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Thoughts_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W __Alpha'__s thoughts W_

Okay everyone this is me typing with someone else's keyboard and the new word program. I prefer word 1998.

_…………………………_

Chapter 14 In the Chamber

The next few weeks passed quickly for Harry and James. James grew quickly. To Harry it seemed as if he missed something new from his son every time he blinked. James now slept through the night but was awake more and more during the day. He also laughed more often and seemed to like to copy Harry, so that when Harry smiled, the baby would smile back.

Meanwhile, Harry learned. With the help of the reading ritual he had memorized everything in the books he had bought. He also managed to apply most of it.

From the construction and household charms books, he managed to build a sort of house in the chamber. He put up the walls in between the pillars and set up a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room. He also managed to make a bathroom with some very complex charms for water supply and removal. He transfigured furniture for his little house. He found that he quite enjoyed this kind of work. It was the first time that he really had a place to himself.

Around the house there was an area between the pillars and walls. Harry began to use this space as a sort of running track. He had looked at his memories of all of the duels and battles he had been in and realized how important running and dodging were. If they had been faster at the Department of Mysteries they would have had fewer injuries. So Harry ran, and for fun every few days he would do the running in wolf form.

The wolf was firmly in his control now. There was often a voice in the back of his head that Harry had christened Alpha. Alpha's thoughts revolved around James, or pup as the wolf referred to him, and the pack. If Harry was thinking about his friends that wolf would chime in a few words. The voice was worth it though; Harry had a much better awareness of his surroundings now than he had before. Every time Harry got near the Slytherin statue, the hair on the back of his neck would stand up and he could hear the wolf growl. He was shocked when he realized that he was actually growling out loud at the statue. Harry could sense that there was something more the thing, so he decided to explore.

He hissed "S Speak to me s," to the statue and its mouth opened, just like it had for Riddle. It seemed that the greatest of the Hogwarts four thing was unnecessary. This time there was no basilisk to come out of the opening, so Harry climbed in. Harry was amazed to find a series of caves. The largest one had a huge quantity of snake skins; it was where the Basilisk had lived. The next room was a potions laboratory. It was full of shelves containing ingredients. Some of the contents had long since gone bad but most of the containers were under very powerful stasis charms that preserved their contents. Harry could tell by the difference in the amount of dust from the main chamber that Riddle had not cleaned this room fifty years ago. He probably never realized there was more to Slytherin's hideaway. Harry collected all the remaining ingredients for later use. He had actually begun to understand potions with all the reading he had been doing.

The next caves held a dueling room, a sleeping chamber and the last, a massive library. Harry was excited to find this. The shelves in this room did not contain books, but scrolls made of dried animal skin. (A/N, Honestly, this is 1000 years ago, of course they used skins. I once went to a lecture on the history of the book and got to touch a 400 year old hand written page of sheepskin –with gloves of course.-) The skin wasn't fragile though. It must have been charmed to withstand time and use. The words were elegantly written by hand. It was about spells to be used for human transfiguration. Harry had never heard of half of the spells, even with his advanced reading. He thought many of them had been lost in the past millennium. This was a wonderful source of information. He would be able to find spells no one knew anymore, so they wouldn't be able to reverse their effects.

Harry grabbed another scroll. This one was on offensive battle spells. Harry could understand it all perfectly. Except, it wasn't written in English. It seemed to be a series of dots and squiggles that made no sense whatsoever. But Harry could read it. When Harry tried reading out loud, his voice came out as a hiss. _That's it. __It's__ written __parceltougue__. No one else will be able to read this. I will have to translate anything I find useful for the DA._ Harry was ecstatic with his find. He now had more to read and would also be able to use this to make personal notes, since Voldemort would be the only other one who could read the writing.

Harry took a couple dozen scrolls back to the main chamber to read while James napped. The difference between old English and modern English made the reading a challenge but the effort was worth it.

………………………

Harry also used his time to master Occlumency, and later Legilimency. Once the power block was removed, it came easily. From what the books he had read said, Snape's method of teaching him last term had been valid, but the most difficult. Clearing your mind and controlling your emotions were the best start to the technique that was necessary if you didn't want someone to know you were hiding something. Harry didn't think it would matter if Legilimens knew he was hiding things, as long as they couldn't find what he was hiding, so he used an easier method.

First, Harry had to meditate. He ended up back in the open field with his Animagus forms. He ignored them while he set up defenses. He decided that a passive defense was best. So he set up a Quidditch pitch. This would be great because of his comfort with the setting. It was the Hogwarts pitch to a tee. It had the six hoops, four balls, fourteen brooms and stands. He even made the brooms the brands of the Gryffindor-Slytherin game that he had played the previous year. He then began sorting memories.

He put all of his biggest secrets on the Golden Snitch. This included every memory of James, the Chamber of Secrets, the prophecy, his animagus forms, his skills and the training he had done. He figured that even if someone got in here they wouldn't be able to catch the Snitch to see what it had. He then put all of his memories of his friends on the Gryffindor keeper broom that Ron had flown. The opposing keeper broom got all of his memories of the Dursleys and everything unhappy from his childhood. He put all of his classes and interactions with professors in the stands where the teachers sat. The opposing Seeker broom contained all of his fights and battles with Voldemort, Death Eater and the junior Death Eaters at Hogwarts. He put a collection of memories that could be used to cast a Patronus on his own broom. From there he just sorted randomly, injuries on the bludgers, anything unhappy to the Slytherin brooms, anything happy to the Gryffindor side. Things that he really couldn't classify went to the quaffle.

Once he had sorted everything, Harry activated the balls and brooms. The snitch was faster than the one at the Quidditch World Cup so it was near impossible to catch. As an extra precaution, Harry added a maze around the outside of the pitch so that he would be the only one to be able to get in quickly. He also brought his forms into the center of the pitch so that they could defend the memories. He wasn't sure how much damage the raccoon would be able to do, but Alpha and the red kite would be great defenders.

Harry also took this time to study the red kite. He was confident in his ability to deal with Alpha now and figured that he was ready for the bird. He wanted to be able to fly. The bird was huge and graceful. It had a red body, with black and white wings but also had the lightning bolt mark in black on the top of its white head. It had a very sharp curved beak. When Harry read its mind, he found a focus on hunting and self reliance. This bird was very independent but would live in a group if it benefited its survival. It took care of its young but did not seem as devoted as Alpha was. It lived to fly.

Harry left the pitch in his mind and returned to himself. He then focused on becoming the red kite. In a second he had wings and was once again not in control as the bird took off. He could hear the bird thinking about finding food, so he told it there was no game where they were and he needed to be in control to get them out. The bird hesitated in giving up control so Harry forcefully took it. He was successful, unlike with the wolf because of the lesser degree of complexness of the bird mind. Harry learned how to control the bird form before becoming human again.

_Two down, one to go._

……………………….

Harry decided to leave the raccoon form for a while. He instead worked on reading as many of the scrolls from the chamber as he could. A great many of them were on potions. It seemed that Slytherins in potions was somewhat of a tradition from the founders. Slytherin was a master but every little bit of his notes on the subject were in parceltongue so they had not been of much use because the founder had never published any of his findings. Harry found one brew that he immediately started working on as a Christmas present.

Harry also used Padfoot's guide to make a batch of fateors. The marauders block had been in finding their forms due to the difficulty in making the parchments. When Harry got the instructions, he had to laugh. The revealing potion was ridiculously easy. It was about fourth year material. The problem was the ingredients, or rather one specific ingredient. A batch to make a hundred fateors required a kilogram of shed basilisk skin. There had not been a parcelmouth to make an income raising basilisks in a couple centuries so the market relied on parts found or killed in the wild, which were rare. This made for an incredibly inflated market. Apparently the Marauders saved up their pocket money for two years to be able to buy the thirty grams they needed for their potion. And that is considering both Harry's father and godfather were from rich families. Meanwhile, Harry himself had a couple hundred kilos of the skin.

Harry brewed enough of the potion for a hundred fateors so that he could provide them to his friends, the DA, the Order and whomever else Harry thought should get one. Once they were complete Harry used one on James. Harry watched the blood reform the words:

'Strong Parcelmouth

Strong Water Elemental

Moderate Wandless Magic

Animagus jaguar

Animagus bat

Animagus iguana

Animagus wolf

Moderate Earth Elemental

Weak Metamorphmagus

Weak Mage Sense

Weak Mind Arts'

_Wow, he's got more __forms than__ I do. And he's stronger with elements. This probably means that James is more powerful than I am. The __Metamorphmagus__ thing will be kind of fun for him. I will have to get __Tonks__ to train him when he is older. Wait, if he's got __parcelmouth__ too then I probably didn't get it from __Voldemort__. I probably had it all along. It could be a family secret that there are people who can talk to snakes. That makes me feel a lot more comfortable with the ability than I was before. _

……………….

Harry spent the last days of his summer holiday training. He practiced the new spells from Slytherin and learned to control his talents. He got so good at wandless magic that he could cast a patronus without his wand. He created golems, which were basically animated dummies, to practice offensive spells on.

Harry also learned the extent of his element. Elemental magic was very different from the magic he was used to. For one, there were no incantations involved. He didn't demand that magic do something. He had to ask. It was more instinctual than learned. He found he could use air to levitate himself or others off the ground. He really loved making cyclones, which were pretty destructive. He tried to find a limit to the ability but gave up when he was levitating himself and controlling ten cyclones with very little effort. His fire element was more difficult. He couldn't actually create the fire but if there was even a candle around he could summon the flame, make it bigger, and throw it. He was also able to make any fire go out but that seemed to be pretty much it. He couldn't control more than one flame at a time. Series of candles had to be put out one at a time.

So the vacation ended. On the last night of August Harry abandoned his training to just spend time with his son. He knew his time would be limited after this. Child care would be Dobby's responsibility but Harry planned to do all his homework in the nursery so that he could spend some time with the baby. He would be able to escape his friends occasionally on the excuse of training but he knew he would miss a ton of his son's life. He was pretty depressed as he put his shrunken trunk in his pocket and flew out of the Chamber and Hogwarts, into the early dawn's light, on the first of September. He was on his way to London to catch the train.

………………………………..

A/N Summer is over!

Sorry this took so long, but I was kind of waiting to hit 100 reviews but I have been at 99 for several days now.

Okay I need Marauder names for Harry's forms. So this is the challenge: **Suggest Marauder names for a red kite and a raccoon. **If I use the name you suggest I will credit you at the start of the chapter that it first appears in.

Alpha was my own name for the wolf. Only the alpha wolf in a pack is allowed to reproduce so Harry would be alpha.

Stats update: 99 reviews, 26 600 words, 14 chapters, 14 662 hits, 11 c2s, 37 favorites, 89 alerts

Have a great weekend all,

Apothecary in Training


	15. On the Train

I own nothing. Except a really unhealthy spider plant. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

…………………….

Chapter 15: On the train

Harry glided down into an alley near Kings Cross. It was almost 10:30 am and he had to hurry to get through the barrier and onto Platform nine and three quarters to get a compartment on the train. Once on the platform he looked around. He could see various members of the order standing around, making sure there were no disturbances. They also seemed to be looking through the crowd, probably searching for him. He sidestepped them. As much as he wanted to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, he didn't want the whole of Hogwarts to know that he had disappeared for a month. It would take all of the surprise out of his extra training.

Thankfully his appearance was quite different from the last time they had seen him. He had his plain contacts instead of his glasses. He no longer wore terribly oversized hand-me-downs, but the clothes that Tonks had helped him pick. Today they were: a baggy pair of cargo pants and a black sleeveless shirt with the legend 'Bad Hair Day, Don't Cross Me.' He had also spiked his shorter hair with the gel that he had used for his disguise. The outfit was completed with his leather jacket. His trunk was tucked securely in his pants pocket. He snuck by classmates and adults he knew without even a second glance.

As Harry snuck onto the train, he thought he saw a woman with black hair and a heart shaped face wink at him. By the time he sat in an empty compartment and looked out the window, she was casting a patronus that was large and hairy, but streaked off immediately. _Must be Tonks. She was the last of these people to have seen me, so the most likely to recognize me. Having chosen my clothes would help as well._

Harry opened the window in his compartment so that he could hear what was going on outside. By chance the Weasleys and Hermione were talking just a few metres from him.

Immediately Alpha chimed in with the thought _w my pack w._

_Yes, yes, that's our pack out there. Now will you be quiet! I want to focus on what they are saying. _Harry was a bit stressed and took it out on his inner animal.

A girls voice could be heard over the sound of the train, "Where is he? If he misses the train… Ohhh."

"Calm down, Hermione. Harry can take care of himself. If he misses the train he will find another way to Hogwarts." This was said by a different girl.

"Yeah, remember when we flew the car. Missing the train isn't the end of the world." That was obviously Ron's voice.

"I remember you saying that the car was your idea, dear brother. Harry wanted to wait for Mom and Dad." It was the second girl again, Ginny.

"Well, yeah, it was, but I'm just saying, Harry knows how to get around." Ron replied hesitantly.

"Oh, come one. It is almost 11; we have to go to the prefects' compartment. Will you save us seats, Ginny?" Hermione said.

Ginny replied, "Sure."

The noise of the train was starting to increase. Steam was starting to cloud the platform as 11 o'clock approached. Just as the train started moving there was a knock outside his compartment. It was Ginny.

She glanced at him and said, "Hey, do you mind if I sit here? Wow, I don't think I've met you befo…" She had looked him in the eye. Harry was fighting the urge to laugh. "Harry!"

Ginny threw herself into a hug, which Harry happily returned. He had just spent a lot of time alone and was glad to see a friend.

Ginny said in a rush, "Where were you? Are you okay? I didn't see you get on the train. You look really good. What did you do all month? Do you know how worried everyone has been? My mom was so upset about you disappearing. How could you just up and take off?" Ginny had started out really happy at the start but had steadily gotten madder as she went until she punctuated the last statement by slapping him on his upper left arm.

"Hey watch the tatt." Harry said when she hit him. He mostly said it to interrupt her. Harry figured the twins' advice on heading off Mrs. Weasley when she was on a tirade would apply to Ginny as well. It worked.

"Tatt?" Ginny sounded confused.

"Tattoo." Harry pulled off his jacket to show her the tattoo of Padfoot on his arm. The dog was happily wagging his tail. She stared at it in shock. "I thought Tonks would have told you. I had it when she took me shopping. She gave me the spell to make it move."

"No, she didn't tell us. I guess that is what she told Moony that made him upset and then laugh later. I guess she wanted you to be able to shock us." Ginny still stared at the image of Sirius's animagus form. She seemed to be tear up a bit.

Harry really didn't want to cry so he decided to divert her. He put his jacket back on and said, "Okay, you just asked me a load of questions. Do it slower and I will answer some of them."

Ginny perked up a bit, "Okay, how are you?"

"Good, mostly. Still kind of sad about Padfoot but I don't think that will ever really go away. That's part of the reasons for the tattoos So that I can remember what I have lost without really having to remember, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it… Wait, did you say tattoos, as is plural, as in more that one?" Ginny was too quick for her own good.

"Yeah, I have three." Ginny looked at him with wide eyes.

"Can I see the other two?"

"I guess." Harry agreed and took of his jacket before turning around and peeling off his shirt.

"Oh, Harry." Ginny gaped at the pictures on his back. The stag was standing regally, with antlers high before looking in her direction and bowing. The lily's petals moved gently as if there was a slight breeze. Ginny was just reaching out to touch the stag when the compartment door opened.

Ginny blushed as Neville and Luna come in and saw Harry and Ginny. Harry was standing in front of her with no shirt on and she realized it was a slightly compromising situation.

Neville said, "Hi, guys. Er, what are you doing?"

Harry was a little embarrassed but took it in stride. He pulled his shirt back on before saying, "Showing off my tattoos."

Neville didn't really seem to understand but said, "Okay, you're just lucky that we weren't Ron. Best friend or not, I don't think he'd like you half dressed with his sister."

Ginny flushed but said, "Ron would have to suck it up. I can do anything I want." Her eyes flashed with anger.

Harry looked at her and said to Neville, "I'd be more afraid of Ginny if I did something inappropriate than I would be of Ron. I mean, the whole school talks about her bat bogey hex."

Ginny stuck her finger in Harry's face and said, "Don't you forget it. Can I keep asking questions now?"

"Sure but wait a sec." Harry replied to Ginny before turning to Neville and Luna and saying, "Do you guys know what has been going on for the last month?" They shook their heads. "Well, I went on an unauthorized vacation. By that I mean, I ran off without telling anyone because I knew they would stop me. I gave Ginny permission to ask whatever she wanted. I might not answer but she can ask." They all settled in to get comfortable. Harry and Neville sat on one bench while Ginny and Luna sat across from them.

"Okay, where were you?" Ginny questioned.

"That one I'm not saying. I want to see who figures it out first. My bet is on Hermione." Harry responded.

Neville said, "Pretty safe bet on that one. Who else figure it out? Ron?" They all laughed at that.

Luna asked dreamily, "Where you hunting demiguises in Saudi Arabia?"

Harry blinked at her, "Er, no but good guess."

"Okay, if you won't answer that. What did you say to Dumbledore to make him not look for you?" Ginny resumed asking questions.

"There's two parts to that, one I just asked. The second part we need better security than the train. I will tell you the rest later though."

"What were you doing?"

"Learning and practicing. You know there really isn't much I can say right now. How about we meet in the Room of Requirement tomorrow night and I will say more." Harry offered.

Everyone agreed but Neville had a fairly general question first. "Are you restarting the DA this year?"

"Definitely. But security will be as tight as or tighter than last year. I want to keep it underground and independent of the teachers. If the Headmaster finds out he will give us a supervisor that will interfere and limit what I get to teach you."

"Great. I learned loads from you," said Neville enthusiastically.

Harry grinned at him before turning to Ginny. "So what happened at …" Harry got stuck here. He was trying to say twelve Grimmauld Place but couldn't get the words out of his mouth. "Er, You-know-where this summer? Sorry guys, I can't physically say the name of the place that I am talking about. You know, security measures." Harry asked Ginny before saying the last to Neville and Luna.

"Oh, it was pretty boring in July but once you took off it got pretty interesting. First there was the yelling and all that. Then Lupin took to pacing and storming around the house for a couple days, that might have gone on longer but Tonks used his distraction to jump him. I didn't see much of them after that. Seems she had been after him for almost six months but he avoided her because of his condition. I think he didn't think he was good enough for her."

"That's great they got together. I am really happy for them. He deserves to be happy with some of the crap he has been dealt before." Harry laughed through this. He couldn't think of anyone better for the old Marauder than the metamorphmagus. "What else happened?"

"Well, a week later Hermione was having this long rant about how terrible it was that you were missing and how much danger you were in. I swear, she said the same thing twice a day all month. Well, this particular time, Ron got this funny look in his eye as he watched her. Right in the middle of the tirade he just stood up and pulled her into a kiss. Well Hermione was surprised she didn't resist so I left pretty quick. A girl does not need to see her brother snogging the life out of one of her friends. They've been holding hands since, and disappearing occasionally."

Harry swore.

Ginny was shocked, "You're not upset are you? I mean, you're okay with them together aren't you?"

"No, I am happy for them. I really am. But they just cost me ten galleons. Neville, do you know who won the bet?" Harry said angrily.

"I think Pavarti. I had the last term of last year so I already knew I'd lost." Neville replied.

"I didn't have until this Christmas. Damn. They couldn't wait another five months. Jeez." Harry was getting over his frustration when he noticed Ginny's face. She was completely shocked.

"You were betting on them getting together?" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yeah, us and the rest of the Gryffindors in our year. We started this pool right after the Yule Ball when Ron was so obviously jealous. We figured it was a way of coping with their constant bickering. If we had money riding on them, it wouldn't bother us so much." Neville supplied this information.

Now Ginny laughed. "Anyway, the rest of what happened this summer. Er, Dad got a promotion after Fudge was sacked. He's been working like mad. Fred and George have come up with some really great stuff in the joke shop and are doing really well. Bill got engaged to Fleur Delacour. Percy is still a git and not talking to us. Oh, and Dean and I broke up. He got upset that I couldn't tell him where I was staying. He didn't understand that I could not get the words out or on paper because of a spell."

Harry was in slight information overload. "Well, I am happy to hear about Mr. Weasley and Bill. If you talk to them, tell them I say congrats. Sorry about Dean, that really sucks."

"I'm not that upset. Things were kind of rocky anyway. He was always trying to treat me like a delicate sort of flowery girl. I get enough of that from my brothers. I mean, I am a Quidditch girl. I don't need help to walk up the stairs." Ginny looked a little mad as she said this but not really bitter.

There was silence for a while. It was a comfortable sort of silence. After a few minutes Harry met Ginny's eyes and he could suddenly hear her thoughts.

'_those tattoos are so hot. And his back was so muscled. I never realized he could look so good in clothes that actually fit.'_

Harry force his eyes closed and put his head back against the seat cushions so that he faced the ceiling and thought _For, Merlin's sake Ginny, think quieter._

Then he heard her voice again even though he was still facing the ceiling, '_Harry can you hear me'_

_Yes. Ginny, are you a telepath?_

'_A what'_

_A telepath. Someone who can project there thoughts into another's mind. They can also receive thoughts of anyone who is addressing them._

Ginny mindvoice sounded shocked by the idea. _'No, I mean I don't think I am. Are you?'_

_No. I am a reasonably skilled Legilimens. When I looked into your eyes I accidentally read your mind. I am sorry. I haven't been around people enough to know how hard I have to focus to do it. I will really try to avoid looking into you mind in the future. But I need eye contact to do it. If you are a telepath you fill be able to contact anyone, anywhere. I have something in my trunk that will let you check. I will give it to you tomorrow. Okay_

Ginny's voice sounded a little scared. '_Okay.'_

Harry let some time pass before he opened his eyes. He spent the time focusing on his watch. It was warm so James was up for his lunch and was happy being taken care of by Dobby. At that moment Harry was intensely jealous of the elf. He wished he could be laying on the floor of the nursery playing with his baby. Harry was pretty sad about this when he finally looked at his friends. Luna and Neville were now reading and Ginny was staring out the window, lost in thought.

A minute later the compartment door opened and Hermione and Ron stormed in.

"It's official. Harry isn't anywhere on the train. I've checked every compartment. He didn't show. I can't believe he is this irresponsible. What if he's hurt? We would have no way of knowing. When I see him I am going to kill him!" Hermione said all of this very quickly.

Harry, Ginny, Neville and Luna were all laughing so hard that they were bent double. Hermione and Ron seemed shocked by there reaction.

"Mates, this isn't really a laughing matter. You-know-who is after Harry. What if he got him? Wait a minute. Who's the new guy?" Ron seemed really confused.

Eventually Harry stopped laughing enough to answer as he stood up. "Ron, after five years, I am hardly the new guy. Merlin, get a haircut and some contacts and my own friends don't recognize me."

Hermione and Ron's jaws dropped. Then Hermione threw herself in a hug with Harry. "Oh Harry, we've been so worried. Where have you been? Why did you leave?" Hermione seemed to want to continue but Harry had to head her off.

"Mione, stop. I want to tell you some of that stuff but there is no security here. Too many Death Eater wannabes on this train. Give me a couple days and I will answer most of your questions."

Luna piped in, "I think it will be worth the wait. Harry, I was glad to see you found you wings and teeth. Now all you need is your mask and you will be all set."

Harry choked. Luna was talking about his animagus forms.

Ron whispered to him, "Did that make any sense to you?"

"Yeah, er, Luna, you wouldn't happen to have aura sight would you?"

Luna dreamily replied, "Oh, is that what it called. I had no idea."

Everyone was staring at Harry so he said, "I'll explain later."

…………………….

A/N Thanks for reading and a big thanks to everyone who left a review.

Challenge: **Suggest Marauder names for a red kite and a raccoon. **If I use the name you suggest, I will credit you at the start of the chapter that it first appears in.

I never realized how much fun it is to write Luna before. I get to type the absolute weirdest things I can think of and it's totally in character.

A huge thanks to Kawaii Yashie for the Hermione and Ron together so that they aren't paying attention to what Harry's up to. I might have done it anyway but when I read that review it was a sure thing.

Stats words: 29700, 15 chapters, 115 reviews, 16 910 hits, 11 c2s, 40 favs, 99 alerts.

Hope everyone has a great week. I will post again soon. We are getting really close to a chapter I wrote after about the fourth chapter. It will need some major edits because I am not following my outline too well, but it should be okay.

Also does anyone ever read A/Ns. I know I don't.

May we never have friends who, like shadows,

Follow us in sunshine only to desert us on a cloudy day

Apothecary in Training.


	16. Feast and Meeting with Dumbledore

I own nothing. Except a half a bag of teddy grahams. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

…………………….

Chapter 15: Feast and meeting with Dumbledore

Harry left the thestral drawn carriage with his friends. The train ride had passed uneventfully, for the most part. They talked of Quidditch and other things of little consequence.

Harry was only five steps into the Entrance Hall, on his way to the feast, when Professor McGonagall stopped him.

"Mr. Potter, the Headmaster would like to see you in office after the feast. He told me to tell you that he enjoys TicTacs." The Professor then hurried away to wait for the first years.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" asked Ron.

"Well the TicTac thing would be the password into his office. As for what he wants to talk to me about, probably the letter I wrote him before I took off. And before you ask what I said, we need more privacy to discuss this." Harry replied.

The group entered the Great Hall. Luna regretfully left them to go sit with the Ravenclaws. Harry, Ginny and Neville sat on one side of the Gryffindor table, while Ron and Hermione sat across from them, holding hands. When Pavarti walked by and saw them, she squealed.

"All right, sixth year Gryffindors pay up." Pavarti was doing some kind of a happy dance as Neville and Harry handed her the galleons. Once they had and she moved on to collect from Seamus and Dean, Hermione voiced a question.

"May I ask, what that was about?"

Harry decided to have some fun first. "Yes, you may."

There was silence at the table for a minute before Hermione said, "Well?"

Harry smiled and said, "Well what?"

"Are you going to answer my question or not?" Hermione was turning red in the face. Neville was choking on his laughter at this banter.

"I did answer you question. You asked, if you could ask what that Pavarti was on about. I said you could ask that question." Harry said this with a completely straight face.

"He's right you know." Ginny said with an innocent smile to Hermione.

"Urg, what was all that with Pavarti about?" Hermione said with gritted teeth and pausing between each word.

Harry said nonchalantly, "Oh, just Pavarti winning the longstanding bet amongst our year about when the two of you would finally get together."

"What!" exclaimed Ron and Hermione together.

"You heard me." Harry said to them before turning to Neville, "So Neville, how did you do on your OWLs?"

Ron and Hermione both seemed to have swallowed their tongues. Neville replied to Harry, "Not bad. I got an O in Herbology. Es in DADA, Charms, Astronomy, and Ancient Runes. I also got an A in Transfiguration. So I've got five classes to continue in. How'd you do?"

Harry made a face and said, "I was given an O in everything." Harry felt oddly unclean even saying this.

Neville looked nervous as he said, "Didn't you pass out in one of the exams?"

Harry snorted. "Yeah, in History of Magic. I didn't answer more than three questions. I would have been surprised to have managed a P in that. So, when it is obvious that I didn't earn those marks, I sent a letter to McGonagall asking her to appeal my grades. I mean, how do I even know what classes I am actually capable of passing NEWTs in, if I don't know what OWLs I earned."

Hermione had found her tongue. "That is a very responsible attitude. Some people would just be grateful and take advantage of it." She seemed to not want to discuss the sixth years' bet.

The Hall fell silent as McGonagall came in leading about three dozen scared looking first years.

_I can't believe I was ever that little. _

_Wow, in eleven years James will be that big and waiting standing there waiting to try on the sorting hat._

When the hat opened its mouth to sing the first years gasped. Harry smiled at the familiarity of their surprise.

The hat sang of the differences in the houses but once again finished with a warning.

"As I warned last year

By all we hold dear

The houses must work together

Or our school will be destroyed forever

Unity was begun

A joining of three was done

Now a coalition of four

Is needed to win the war."

This year no one clapped. Most were whispering to their friends trying to figure out what the end of the hat's song had meant. Less than forty people had known about the DA and those who did recognize it as the joining of three, wondered how the hat had known at all.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and everyone fell silent. Harry was jerked out of his thoughts about the hat's advice, by a familiar sounding name a minute later.

"Evans, Mark"

Harry looked at the young boy climbing onto the stool. "That kid is from Little Whinging. Oh, this isn't going to be good."

"Gryffindor!" yelled the hat.

"Why isn't that a good thing that you know one of the first years?" asked Hermione as she clapped for Mark.

"Because my entire town thinks I am a violent delinquent that goes to a juvenile detention center."

Lavender and Pavarti had been listening. "What?" said Lavender.

Harry explained, "My aunt and uncle don't like magic so they told all the neighbours that I go to St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. All the kids in the town are terrified of me because their parents say I'm dangerous. How is that kid going to react to me in the common room? Especially when half the school thinks I'm a hero. They are going to treat him terribly if he is scared of me."

Hermione conceded, "That is a problem, I will warn him that you are here when I lead the first years to the common room after the feast."

"Thanks, Hermione."

When the sorting had finished and each table had been allocated several small nervous people, Dumbledore stood up and said "You will not be able to hear properly over the sounds of your growling stomachs," before sitting again.

Harry ate with gusto. Even though he had been eating Hogwarts food for the last month, everything seemed to taste better now that he was surrounded by his friends. He could also feel his warm watch that meant his son was awake and happily being taken care of by Dobby. He smiled to himself as he imagined James in his swing or playing with his toys.

Harry was snapped out of his imaginings by Dumbledore standing up. He addressed the students about the dangers and safety measures. He warned of increased strictness about being out of bounds. The headmaster said that there was a new Defense teacher, but that she was late and would arrive in time for class tomorrow morning. He said the Filch had banned all Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products. Ginny and Ron gave each other a high five across the table at that point.

After getting the Fat Lady's password from Hermione, Harry left his friends to go to Dumbledore's office.

………….

Harry sat in front of Dumbledore's desk and waited. He gazed around the office. Most of the things that he had destroyed had been repaired. The spindly table was covered with instruments. Gryffindor's sword gleamed in a case over the fireplace. The former headmasters and headmistresses sat sleeping in their portraits. The sorting hat was still missing, not yet returned from the sorting.

Professor Dumbledore walked in with the sorting hat. The headmaster said, "Ah, Harry excellent, Professor McGonagall gave you my message. If you would just make yourself comfortable I have letters from a few order members for you." With that Dumbledore went into a room off the back of his office, leaving the hat behind.

"So, Mr. Potter, you seem to spend a lot of time here don't you," said the sorting hat.

"Yeah, seem to work that way, hat. Actually, do you have a name? I've never heard you called anything but the sorting hat." Harry was curious and did not want to be told he belonged in Slytherin again if the hat had nothing better to say.

"Yes actually. Salazar dubbed me Galen. Apparently the original Galen wrote a great deal about the effects of certain herbs and plants on the body. No one has really called me that in several centuries though. You are the first in a long time to ask my name. Your Headmaster insists on calling me Floppy. I much prefer my original name."

"Okay, I'll call you Galen. Thanks for the quick history lesson by the way." Harry told the hat as Dumbledore returned with several letters.

The headmaster was shocked, "Your name is Galen? You never told me that."

"You never asked." The hat fell silent as Dumbledore put it back on its shelf.

"Anyway, here is your mail, Harry. I believe Mrs. Weasley has some rather cross words for you. I was hoping we might discuss what you wrote to me in your letter. I would like to apologize again for what my mistakes have cost you."

Harry interrupted here, "Professor, please don't apologize. I understand what has happened. You said that the mistake was because you were looking out for my welfare over that of the war and the rest of the world. I have been thinking about this and I would like to ask you to stop trying to take care of me. You should take care of the war and trust me to look out for myself. Don't withhold information because it will upset me or make decisions to protect me. Give me the facts and let me choose. I have earned the right to be allowed to make my own decisions and live my life. If I don't like what you ask me to do for the war effort, let me refuse or try to convince me to do what you want. Don't just decide for me."

Dumbledore surveyed Harry over steepled fingers. "I can agree to this. You are old enough to judge what you should do. On that note, as you may or may not know, we have a new Minister of Magic." Harry nodded at that. He had read it in the Daily Prophet before leaving Privet Drive. "Well, Minister Scrimgeour has been requesting that I set up a meeting with you and him. He intends to request for you to make a public statement in support of the ministry and his leadership."

Harry hated this idea. He did not feel he had any role in politics. He had a fairly anti-Ministry feeling at the moment, between their guardianship laws and Umbridge's reign of terror at Hogwarts last year. He asked, "What is your recommendation on this matter? Would it help the war effort?"

"No, I don't believe it would. Scrimgeour is spending too many resources on politics and press and not enough on training fighters. He is too concerned with morale to actually inform the public of the reality of what is happening. I would recommend that you not support the ministry but that you not do anything actively against it either. We do know that Scrimgeour is on our side, and is resistant to the imperious curse so he is not a great danger to the war even if he is not much of a help."

"Good, because I didn't want to do it anyways. You can inform him that as a sixteen year old student, I do not feel qualified to comment on the political situation." Harry figured that would be diplomatic enough and entirely truthful, if not the full story.

Dumbledore sighed and changed the topic. "Now, may I ask where you were this summer?"

Harry smirked, "You can ask but I won't answer. I was safe and that is all you need to know, professor."

"I expected as much. I would like to apologize for not taking Remus's concern about a power block seriously. I truly believed that you wouldn't have been able to accidentally apparate with your magic blocked. Have you successfully removed it?"

"Yes sir. I am not really upset about having to do it late. Right now everyone expects me to have fairly average power levels. It will be an asset in battle to have everyone underestimate me." Harry said this honestly. The block had not really hurt him in the last five years.

"That is a good attitude. Have you discovered any new abilities?"

Harry debated on how much to reveal. "Well, I am competent at wandless magic." Harry wandlessly and wordlessly summoned a paperweight from behind Dumbledore before continuing. "And I have some power with the air element." Harry used air to lift up a chair. "I am also capable of Occlumency. But I think I will keep the rest to myself for now, sir."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with happiness at what Harry could do. "All right, I look forward to seeing anything else you can do. Now you also said that you are coming to terms with the prophecy."

"Yes sir, but I was hoping to get you permission to tell my friends. By that I mean the five students who went to the Department of Mysteries with me."

"Yes, I think it would be best for them to know. You will need support in the training and battles to come. Speaking of training, I was hoping you would agree to some private training with the new Defense professor." Dumbledore said this hopefully, not truly demanding anything of Harry.

Harry agreed, "It sounds like a good idea, sir."

"I will leave you to arrange that with her. On a happier note, Professor McGonagall asked me to let you know that you have been chosen as Gryffindor Quidditch captain."

Harry groaned inwardly. It was an honor and he would love to lead the team but that would mean even more time away from James. I was bad enough to have practices but to have to organize everyone as well. "Professor, I want to say thank you for the offer but I am going to decline. I love the game but I will be busy with training and I don't want to add in more time organizing a team. Besides, I only really know about seeking. I would suggest that Katie Bell or Ron Weasley be captain."

Dumbledore nodded, "I'll accept your decision and will inform your Head of House. This is your choice to make but I don't think being captain would be too much of a time commitment."

"My answer stands. Professor McGonagall will have to choose someone else." Dumbledore didn't know of his other commitments, the DA and his son.

"All right. Now it has gotten rather late. I would suggest you find your bed.

…………….

Harry arrived in Gryffindor tower to an empty common room. He went up to his dormitory to find Ron waiting for him next to a bed covered with presents.

"Mate, these are the gifts from the birthday party we had without you. Mom wouldn't let me open them. Err, where's your trunk?"

Harry pulled his trunk out of his pocket and enlarged it. "Right here. Got some stuff of a sensitive nature in it. Thanks for the gifts. You all didn't have to do that."

"Course me did. Too bad you weren't there. Mom's cake was great."

"Wait til tomorrow night and you'll find out why I wasn't." Harry opened his gifts to find several defense books, some Quidditch paraphernalia, WWW pranks, and some snacks. He also opened the mail from the Order to: scolding from Mrs. Weasley, concern from Lupin, and congratulations on the escape from Fred and George. All in all it hadn't been a bad day. Harry fell into bed exhausted.

…………….

Harry woke up just three hours later after a nightmare about Sirius, Sheila and Cedric blaming him for their deaths. He knew that it wasn't his fault but that didn't make the dreams stop. So in the middle of the night he went into his trunk and watched his son sleep. At least this way he would be able to take care of the baby in the morning. He drifted off to the soft chuffing noises of a baby's peaceful sleep.

…………….

A/N

That's all for this chapter. He's back at Hogwarts. That was a long time without any significant amount of James.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews.

As for Harry's friends having awesome powers: They won't all have something rare. Luna is because she is so different, but that is not what makes her a little off. She watched her mom die, violently when she was nine. That would affect anyone. Ginny is the seventh child, she should be more powerful.

Challenge: **Suggest Marauder names for a red kite and a raccoon. **If I use the name you suggest, I will credit you at the start of the chapter that it first appears in.

Oh, and Galen is kind of a pharmacy thing. He wrote the first pharmacopeia. Basically a record of what drugs do (ie. Poppy makes you sleep). I have read so many fics where the hat is named Floppy or Aristotle or something else. I wanted something of my own.

Woohoo, I broke 30 000 words total for the story.

Anyways, I've got to study now so…

Apothecary in Training


	17. First Day Back

I own nothing. Except a ham to cook for Easter. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

OMG I'm back. I've got a long weekend and I hope to get a few chapters together over the course of it.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

…………………….

Chapter 17 First day back

Harry woke at six the next morning to his son's first cries. His neck was sore and he felt like he could have used another couple hours of sleep, but it was not to be. He efficiently changed and fed the baby. An idea occurred to him so he decided to try it out.

"_S Good morning. S" _ Harry hissed in Parceltongue.

James looked at him deeply. Harry figured that since the knowledge of the language was magical and innate, James should be able to understand on some level. It wouldn't be complete because a baby's thought processes are so different. Also, James would still have to learn how to use his voice and mouth before he would be able to speak it. He thought it might be something like the idea of a child learning sign language before they can talk. The issue would be still teaching the child English at the same time.

The way the baby was looking at Harry led him to think the child had understood so he continued, "_James be good for Dobby today and I will see you tonight. I have to go to class and see my friends today."_

There was no confirmation that the child understood at all. Harry rocked him back to sleep while humming a tune. Once the baby was laid in the crib, Harry left the nursery.

Everyone in Harry's dorm was still asleep; it was only just before seven. Harry changed his clothes and went outside to the Quidditch pitch. It was cool and damp outside. After a warm-up jog around the pitch and a few stretches, Harry began wind sprints. He ran at varying speeds and wished that he could do some running as Alpha. He knew it was too exposed and planned to visit the chamber occasionally to train in animagus form. 

Harry jogged the steps up to Gryffindor tower and arrived just as Ron was waking up.

"Mate, why are you all wet?"

"I've been running. Woke up a while ago and decided to greet the day." Harry said as he went to the bathroom to shower.

"Barmy."

Harry went down to the Great Hall, minus a layer of a salt, half an hour after that. Ron was in the middle of an enormous plate of food with Ginny sitting across from him, pointedly ignoring his table manners. Hermione was examining the class schedule she had just received from Professor McGonagall. 

As soon as Harry sat, the deputy headmistress addressed him, "Ah, Mr. Potter have you decided what classes you wish to take?"

"Er, what were the results of the appeal over my OWLs?" Harry asked.

McGonagall's lips thinned as she said, "The Ministry denied that there were any inconsistencies in your marks. They insisted that the grading scheme was fair and unbiased."

Harry snorted, "Then I will take the classes that I think I would have achieved the required grades in, had my tests actually been marked. So, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures … er, Professor, do feel that I would have gotten an E in Transfiguration based on my work at the end of last year?"

The Professor seemed impressed that he was asking her opinion. "Yes, Potter, I believe, but I am not certain, that you would have achieved a high enough grade."

"Then I will take Transfiguration as well. Those are the only classes I am reasonable confident about my grades."

McGonagall's face showed concern as she said, "Mr. Potter, I thought you wanted to be Auror. Potions is required for that."

"Is it possible to write a NEWT in a subject we haven't taken?" Harry asked and the Professor nodded. "Then I will probably do some independent study on it. I think that it would be better for the entire class if Professor Snape and I were not forced into the same room. Our conflicts probably had a negative effect on people's learning. Besides, I am not really sure I want to be an Auror anymore."

Hermione jumped in, she had been listening to the entire conversation. "Why not? You liked the idea last year."

"I am not sure I want to spend my whole life fighting. I have been doing it for the last five years and it is getting tiring. Professor, are four classes enough?" Harry said the first to Hermione before turning back to his teacher. 

"Yes. The workload this year will be significantly more than before. And I daresay that you will be doing some additional learning on your own in material not taught at this school." Professor McGonagall walked away after saying that.

"That was odd," said Ginny.

"How do the teachers always know what I am up to?" pondered Harry.

"Don't know, but hey look at this." Ron was pointing to a badge on his robe.

"Excellent, you're captain. Let me know when we practice."

"I know you turned it down. McGonagall told me when she gave me the badge." Ron said without bitterness.

"Yeah, job wasn't for me. I mean, I have only seen one professional match in my life. I know nothing about strategy except for how to do a Wronski Feint. You'll do a great job."

Ron got progressively more cheerful as Harry spoke. "Thanks, mate. You would have done fine."

Harry shrugged and looked at his schedule. The classes were now three hours long but only once a week. He had DADA Monday morning, Care of Magical Creature Tuesday afternoons, Transfiguration Wednesday morning and then nothing until Charms Friday morning. "Anyway, we've got to go to class. DADA first thing. Has Dumbledore introduced the new teacher yet."

"No," said Hermione.

"Urg, I've got potions first," groaned Ginny as they walked out into the Entrance Hall.

"Oh yeah, you've got OWLs this year. Let me know if you need any help. Well, except for Potions. You'll have to go to Hermione for that one." Harry said and Ginny beamed at him before taking off to the dungeons.

The trio went to the old DADA room. Thankfully the room was different than the year before. All Umbridgedness had been removed. In fact, it looked close to how it had been in their third year.

The new professor stood in the shadows. Harry thought she appeared to be a middle aged woman.

_W pack W_

_What do you mean that persons a part of my pack? I don't recognize her at all._

_W Mated to pack. W_

_Okay, so it's someone that I know, that is in a relationship, with someone in my pack._

_W Yes. W_

_Okay, adult women that I know. Hey, is that Tonks._

_W Yes. W_

During this silent conversation, the rest of the class filed in. It seemed that the houses were no longer separated. The Hufflepuffs were Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Justin Finch-Fletchley. The Ravenclaws were Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein, Padma Patil, Stephen Cornfoot and Su Li. The Gryffindors had the largest section of the class. Only Seamus was missing from their numbers, so a total of seven. Slytherin, like Hufflepuff, had three students: Malfoy, Theodore Nott, and a girl named Daphne Greengrass. All but five of the class had been taught by Harry the previous year.

Tonks called the class to attention by clearing her throat, eerily reminiscent of Umbridge. She said in a high, but wheezy voice, "Now, class, does anyone know who I am?" as she stepped out of the shadows.

The class was unresponsive so Harry put up his hand. "Ah, Mr. Potter. You believe you know my identity. Give your classmates a few hints."

Harry thought hard before saying, "You are a first cousin of someone in this class."

"Yes, I am but I didn't think you knew that."

"A little doggy told me." Harry could see Hermione thinking hard. She was obviously trying to figure out why Sirius would have mentioned anyone's relatives.

"Ah yes. Give another hint," replied the disguised Tonks.

"You were a Hufflepuff."

"I was, and I am proud of it." Harry could see the three Hufflepuff students perk up a bit. It was rare for them to see pride in their house. "Still no one knows. Give something a bit more obvious."

"You are currently in a relationship with a man nicknamed Moony."

The second the words left Harry's mouth Hermione and Ron exclaimed, "Tonks."

Tonks shifted her appearance back to the young and pink haired. "Wotcher."

"I've met you before. You're an Auror." 

"That is correct, Miss Bones. I am on a leave of absence this year to teach DADA. Not sure which will be more dangerous but I'll give this a whirl."

Malfoy drawled, "Wait a minute. You can't teach your own cousin. You would mark whoever it is easier."

Harry started laughing. "Malfoy, she's your cousin."

"Nice try Potter. I don't have any cousins." 

"Actually, dear Draco. Our mothers are sisters. My mother was disowned for marrying a muggleborn, so we've never met before. Nice first impression, by the way." Tonks said cheerfully.

Malfoy turned red at this and muttered about halfbloods and how they are a disgrace to the wizarding world, giving both Harry and Tonks the evil eye.

Harry had enough of Malfoy's crap. "You do know that the two most powerful wizards in the world right now **are** half bloods, right."

Malfoy made a sound of disbelief and said, "You think you are one of the most powerful wizards alive, Potter?"

"No, I wasn't including myself. I am talking about Voldemort and Dumbledore. Dumbledore's mother was muggleborn and Voldemort's father was a muggle. Do some research before you make yourself look like an idiot. Oops, too late."

The rest of the class laughed. Some of the students look thoughtful.

Lavender Brown asked politely, "Harry how do you know You-know-who's father was a muggle."

"He told me himself. A couple times. Something about having to change his name so that it wasn't the same as his fathers and then talking about how he killed the man."

The class was thoughtful at this. Some seemed disturbed by the conversation and Tonks took the opportunity to call the class to order.

"Well, back to DADA. I know your learning has been somewhat fragmented. I was told that you had a couple years that you learned nothing, so I would like each of you to take out a parchment and write down every spell, hex, jinx, or charm you have learned for this class. Include anything learned in study groups." Tonks gave Harry a look there. Lupin must have told her about the DA. 

Harry wrote his list. He did not include anything he had learned over the summer. He wanted an ace up his sleeve.

The class continued with people practicing the spells on their lists and demonstrating them for Tonks. Before Harry left the room he told Tonks to say hi to Moony for him. She simply smiled and winked at him.

………….

The afternoon flew by for Harry. He took a break from his training to play chess with Ron while they talked about the professional Quidditch standings and other things of little importance. Ron understood that Harry could tell him anything in the common room.

Evening came and with it, the meeting in the Room of Requirement. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the first to arrive with Neville arriving alone next and Ginny and Luna the last.

Harry had set up the room to be a comfortable sort of living room. They all sat on comfortable couches and chairs.

"Okay, first thing I want to do is tell you all the prophesy. No, Neville you didn't break it, just a record of it." And he told it to them. (A/N no I am not going to repeat it. You've all read the book.) They were all silent afterwards.

Ron said shakily, "What does that mean?"

"Either I kill Voldemort or he will kill me." Harry said this bluntly. 

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Neville.

"Because you deserve to know. Voldemort will keep coming for me until the prophesy is fulfilled. That is the danger of being close to me."

Hermione spoke up. "He knows it?"

"Just up until 'trice defied him.' He still wants to know the rest. Oh, and if you are ever captured, I give you permission to tell him the rest. It's not like it actually tells anything important. For know it is just a distraction he will go after."

"Mate, we are not abandoning you over this. You-know-who is going to come after each of us anyway. We made this choice years ago," said Ron forcefully. Harry nodded.

The room was quiet again. "Harry, what are you thinking?" This came from Ginny. Her look of concern caught his so off guard that he answered with brutal honesty.

"How can I beat someone so much older and more powerful than me? If it comes to an out and out duel, I will lose. I don't want to die. I'm sixteen years old. There is so much I want to do, see, be." Unbidden, tears welled in Harry's eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath. "I'm not afraid of dying, I'm really not but I don't want to leave you guys. Every minute I have is precious. At the same time, how can I set out to kill another person? I don't want to be a murderer but I want to live." Harry stopped not sure what else to say.

All the girls had red eyes at this and Ron and Neville looked like someone had punched them in the gut. "Harry, if you knew the last fight would be in a week and that you would lose, what would you do this week?" Once again the questioner was Ginny. She seemed to be trying to get Harry to fully express his emotions.

Hermione made a sound like a wounded animal. Harry said, "I would be here with you guys. I would spend every minute with my family and tell you all how much I love you. I would give McGonagall a hug because under all her strictness I can tell she really loves us. I would have one last Quidditch match. I would play a prank on Snape so that I would have something to tell my dad and Sirius when I see them." Harry smiled with bright eyes. 

Ginny asked through her tears, "But if you could go somewhere else and see something you've always wanted to see, what would it be?"

Harry thought for a minute and then said, "Hogwarts is my home but there is one other place I would want to see. There's this old muggle song from world war two about how someday things will all be peaceful and back to normal and the world will be free. It says that there will be birds flying over the white cliffs of Dover. That is what I would want to see. I would want to sit on the cliffs at dawn and watch the birds fly. The thought gives me hope because that war did end and ours will too, someday."

Everyone sat in silence for long moments. The girls were all sniffling and the guys were fighting not to cry. Finally Harry said, "Enough of the depressing stuff. You wanted to know why Dumbledore didn't look for me. Well, I wrote him a letter saying that I found out I had a power block placed on me by my parents. It was breaking down and I needed to go away to remove it and relearn how to use magic."

Hermione asked, "Why would your parents block your powers?"

"It's a protective thing done to kids who start having accidental magic before they're two. It's dangerous to have a temper tantrum with magical abilities," explained Harry.

Neville asked, "How young were you when you started doing magic?"

"A month before I was born." Neville, Ron and Ginny were stunned by this information. Hermione seemed confused about their reactions and Luna looked, well like Luna.

"Why are you guys so shocked?" asked Hermione. Apparently she hadn't read any child development books.

Ron answered, "Hermione, its common knowledge that the more powerful a wizard is, the earlier he will have magic. Magic before birth is unheard of. Accidental magic is supposed to start between ages five and seven."

"Well, anyway, I had a power block. I did a ritual to remove it and then had to relearn every spell I know. This is great because no one expects me to be anything above normal, when I now have ten times the power I did last year." The other five were still shocked. Harry though it was time to distract them. "Oh, I've got a present for each of you."

Harry enlarged his trunk from his pocket and pulled out five fateors. He handed them around.

"Mate, I've got enough parchment already," said Ron.

Hermione examined hers. "I've read about these. They are really hard to make and incredibly expensive. Where did you get them?"

"I made them. I actually have a hundred. They are easier than you think and the only expensive part is the pound of basilisk skin."

Hermione goggled at him and then shrieked, "You were in the Chamber of Secrets!"

"Yes, I was. See completely safe and I got some good potions ingredients." Harry laughed. He looked around and saw Ginny looked upset. "Sorry, Ginny. I don't mean to be insensitive or anything but it was a really safe place that no one could tell if I was doing magic and no one could get to me." Ginny nodded but didn't say anything.

"Anyway, the parchments are fateors. Put 5 drops of blood on it and it will write any talents you have."

The group did so.

Ron's said

'Animagus lion

Weak healing'

Hermione's said:

'Animagus leopard

Strong photographic memory

Weak Fire element'

Luna's said

'Strong Aura sense'

Ginny's said

'Strong telepathy

Animagus German Shepard

Moderate Occlumency

Mild wandless magic'

Neville's said

'Strong Earth Element

Animagus Bear

Moderate Wandless magic

Mild empathy

DAMAGING MEMORY BLOCK'

All five were talking at once. Harry waved his arms to quiet everyone. They fell silent. "Sorry, just a little too loud. Neville, the memory block. Do you want it removed?"

"What is it? I don't remember someone messing with my memories. Wait, I just realized how dumb that sounds."

Harry sighed, "It was probably a memory charm done after the attack on your parents. I looked at how to fix one. I found a reference and figured that you had been charmed before you were three. The brain is still learning how to function at that point and any kind of alteration will do harm until it is removed. You need a skilled Legilimens to fix it. Which means me, Dumbledore or Snape. I give you my word that I will never speak anything that I see in your head if you let me do it. The downside is that to unblock the memories, we both have to experience them."

Neville was very pale but said, "I trust you, Harry. Can you fix it for me?"

Harry moved to sit across from his friend. He instructed, "Just look into my eyes and don't fight me. You are going to see flashes of all kinds of memories while I look for the block."

After several minutes of seeing Neville's childhood memories as Harry followed them backwards in time he came to the damaged area. He gently pushed and pulled until the memories came free. Then both boys were trapped, watching the torture of the Longbottoms. 

When it was over, Harry looked at Ron. "Help me up," he requested. Harry shakily moved back to a couch. Neville had his face in his hands and everyone was quiet. "Luna, could you give Neville a hug?" Luna complied enthusiastically. Harry was surprised when Ginny pulled him in an embrace as well. "Gin, what cha doing?" Harry was startled but the hug was so warm and nice that he made no move to stop her.

"You said you would both experience the memory. If he needs a hug, so do you." Ginny said this matter-of-factly.

"Thank you, Ginny." Harry stayed in her arms a long time. He wasn't used to physical affection. He peaked his eyes open to see Luna still had Neville captured and that Ron had thrown an arm around Hermione. Harry regretfully broke away from Ginny and said, "Neville if you ever need to talk, let me know. You can also ask Madame Pomfrey to bring a mind healer if you want."

Neville looked up and said, "Can we just talk about something else for a while?"

"Sure. Err, Hermione yours said photographic memory. Have you ever had to reread a book?" asked Harry.

"Of course, I always reread right before a test."

"No, Hermione, I mean do you have to read a book more than once to understand it? I usually read Transfiguration three times to get the material."

"Why would anyone have to read a book more than once to understand?" Hermione seemed confused by the idea.

Ron snorted, "The first time is to see where you are going with it. The second time is for the concepts, and the last for the details."

Hermione still seemed bewildered, "I guess I have been using that power for a while now."

"You think," said Ginny.

"Hey, Harry what was Luna talking about with teeth, wings and mask?" asked Ron.

"Those are my animagus forms: wolf, red kite and raccoon. I haven't done the raccoon yet."

"Wicked, can we see them?"

Harry stood up and transformed into Alpha. He suddenly had a slightly evil idea. He started growling and snarling. All his friends started moving away from him. He moved and growled until the five of them were standing in the middle of the room. Then he transformed back.

Hermione looked at him compassionately, "Harry, did you lose control of the animal?"

"No, I just wanted to see if I could herd something. Ow!" Harry exclaimed as both Weasleys hit him in the shoulders. "Bloody redheads."

"Transform back. I want to look at the wolf properly, you know, not like I am about to be lunch," demanded Ginny.

Harry obliged and this time let the wolf instincts rule on how to deal with pack members. It was friendly but never submissive. Alpha actually snarled a bit at Ron when he tried to rub at his throat, which would be an act of domination. Harry did stop the wolf from licking anyone, he knew they would find that gross.

Once everyone had had a look he transformed back.

"Why did you growl at me?" asked Ron.

"I was letting my instincts rule. A wolf who grabs at another throat is dominant. My wolf thinks he is Alpha male so he doesn't like that. You will probably never see him expose his belly for the same reason. It is an act of submission," Harry explained.

"Harry, aren't you supposed to lose the animal instincts when you overpower the animal?" asked Ginny.

"I didn't overpower Alpha. I bargained with him and convinced him to let me be in control. Now he is always with me. That's how I knew that was Tonks today; Alpha told me that she was a part of our pack. I did overpower Tips though, so I don't have him in my head."

Neville asked, "Er, Tips?" 

In response Harry simply transformed into the red kite and flew around the room. 

"That is brilliant. Flying without a broom," Ron said enviously.

Harry landed and transformed back. "I named him for the underside of the wings. The white stripe makes it look like the tips have been dunked in black paint."

Harry went on, "So I can show the rest of you how to become your forms, sorry you don't have one Luna." Luna shrugged and didn't really look bothered. "The elemental thing is kind of fun. Neville you have probably been using yours without noticing since it's strong. Sometime we should have an element battle since we are opposite."

"What do you mean opposite?" asked Neville.

Hermione had wide eyes, "You inflated your Aunt."

"I have strong Air Element. Air and Earth are opposites, just like Fire and Water. I also have weak fire like Hermione but the most I can do is summon, grow and put out fires. I have strong wandless magic. I can do pretty much everything, including a Patronus wandlessly. I have moderate mind arts ability so I actually had to train that, which went pretty well. I haven't really done anything with my weak dream sight and weak inner eye yet. The weak powers are difficult to do anything with."

Hermione was shocked, "You have ten talents?"

"Yep. Listen it's late I want to go to bed."

With that the sextet split up to two different common rooms for the night. Harry went to the nursery to say goodnight to his son before going to bed.

……….

A/N

That's it. Longest chapter yet. Parts inspired by: Live like you were dying by Tim McGraw and last episode of season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Okay challenge still up to **name the raccoon.**

Can someone tell me what policy on song lyrics is? I don't want to accidentally break the rules.

Anonymous reviews are now on: Bring on the flames, or you know, not.

I have been advised to get a beta, a couple times. So if someone wants to beta this let me know. If someone does, all chapters will be reposted, warning those with this on alert. I know I am a little rough on the grammar and that, but I am a science major, not an English major.

Random fic rec: Backward with Purpose from AlianneOfTortall – a redo, currently in third year, fast updating, like daily, best part- Harry, Ron and Ginny go back.

Stats: A month and half since I started. 17 chapters, 142 reviews, 24706 hits, 16 communities, 53 favs, 126 alerts and about 37000 words. 

Next chapter should be out tomorrow, I think.

Apothecary in training


	18. The Pup

I own nothing

I own nothing. Except a half a bag of lemon drops. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

I'm sorry, its been almost a month. Well, no wait, I'm not that sorry. I had finals. Priorities and all that. Since I am sitting her watching it snow I thought I would do some typing now.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

…………………….

Chapter 18 The pup

When Thursday morning came around, Harry was lying on the floor of the nursery. He was face down with his upper body raised on his elbows. James lay beneath him.

Since Harry did not have class this morning, he decided to spend some time with his son. Both Ron and Hermione were at Herbology for the morning. He had sent word around for the DA to meet tonight, in the Room of Requirement. He also activated the coins, after having Hermione remove Marietta Edgecomb's coin from the spell.

He had missed his son badly over the last few days. He made sure to come to the nursery every morning before class, and he took care of the last feeding of the night before he went to bed. Harry went down as often as he could, when he wasn't in class and managed to get away from Ron and Hermione but it wasn't the same as being the only one to take care of the baby.

Dobby was amazing in his helpfulness. The elf had a monitor on the room, so that when James cried and Harry didn't enter the nursery within a minute Dobby popped in. Once James got used to seeing a house elf, things went well. Dobby was very efficient in his care of the baby. Harry had been worried about the elf's abilities, but child care was apparently standard training for a house elf.

Dobby kept the baby fed and clean, but wasn't the best entertainment for the child. It wasn't in his nature to cuddle or play. James had to entertain himself with toys when Harry wasn't available.

James lay on the floor beneath Harry. The baby was wearing only his diaper. Harry used this as a reason to blow loud raspberries on his son's stomach. Which, of course, resulted in loud squeals, laughter and kicking.

This was precious time now. Harry had homework, friends and training in his spare time. Harry was determined to enjoy every minute of the time his son was awake before settling in to do homework.

The classes this week hadn't been too difficult. Tonks's first DADA class was mainly for seeing what everyone knew. Their only homework had been a challenge to find a dueling spell that Tonks herself didn't know. Harry planned on using on of the Parseltongue hexes he had found in the Chamber of Secrets.

Care of Magical Creatures class on Tuesday had been a bit of a surprise. A surprise, in that he was the only one in the class. No other sixth year had continued. Hagrid had been disappointed but had moved on the material. Apparently they had already covered every NEWT animal that was actually safe enough to bring to the school so they had to make due with Omniocular recordings and textbooks. This term they were working on dragons. Hagrid had obtained the recordings from the Triwizard tournament's first task. Harry finally got to see how the other champions had defeated their dragons. Harry's breath was stolen when he watched Cedric, the friend lost too soon. Harry was also shocked at his own recklessness in flying past. The number of close shaves terrified him. He made a promise to himself to be more careful, for the sake of his son. The homework Hagrid had planned on assigning was to have he class figure out how they would have gotten by a dragon, but since Harry had already done that, he didn't assign it.

Transfiguration was the class he had homework for. He had three essays assigned on human transfiguration. In the practical part of the class, Harry had no problems, especially with his increased power from the previous year but it still took time to do the theory.

For now, Harry was focusing on his son and not worrying about homework.

Harry began a simple game of monkey see, monkey do. Harry smiled, James smiled. Harry pursed his lips, James tried but didn't quite get it. Harry stuck out his tongue, James did the same, but with considerably more drool.

Once Harry tired of this, he simply cuddled the baby for a while. The simple feeling on human touch was wonderful for Harry. After his childhood, he was hesitant about any prolonged human contact. Honestly, Hermione's hugs were often uncomfortable. Years of having people not wanting to come into contact with him for fear of contamination had had an effect. Harry had put that aside early on with his son, since the development books stressed the importance of touch to an infant. Now Harry was completely comfortable with the child, though still not with anyone else.

_W Pup W_

_Yes, the pup is happy with us. _

_W See pup. W_

_You want to see James though wolf eyes?_

_W Yes W_

Harry didn't think it would do any harm. He also wanted to get a better read on James's scent, so that he would be able to track him later. It would also be good for the baby to have an idea that the wolf is actually Harry before he was old enough to be scared of a wolf.

Harry laid the baby back on the carpet and then stood up and transformed into Alpha. Harry was shocked beyond reason when, after a seconds delay, James also transformed into a wolf, well a wolf pup anyways.

Harry was terrified. How had this happened without preparation? He knew that James's third animagus for was also a wolf but how could James already be an animagus? Would James be able to control the wolf and change back?

The pup was very small. It was pure black except for white paws. It had hair and its bright green eyes were open. It looked strong enough to move around but it didn't seem to be able manage it. Harry took that as a good sign. If James was in control, he wouldn't have the instincts to move the wolf body.

The pup was whimpering. Alpha immediately nuzzled the pup and licked it. At the contact, the cries lessened. Meanwhile, Harry was panicking.

_W My pup W_

_Yes that is James as a wolf. Now how do I get him to be a baby again?_

_W Be man W_

_Obvious, more follow the leader. Hopefully he can imitate this magic as well._

So Harry focused on changing back. When he was once again standing, there was a moment of delay, when Harry's heart was in his throat, before James changed back into a baby.

Of course, the baby was screaming. All of this seemed to have terrified him. Harry immediately scooped him up and cuddled him to his chest.

"It's okay, baby. You're all right." Harry continued with nonsense phrases as he checked his son over to make sure the transformation was complete. It was and in several minutes when Harry was able to calm down himself the child did likewise.

James fell asleep as soon as he stopped crying. All the magic had exhausted him. Harry held him for a long time after that. The shock was just too much. Harry's mind was consumed with what ifs about everything that could have gone wrong in James's transformation. Eventually, Harry had to put the baby down to go to lunch in the Great Hall.

…………………..

A/N

There it is. It's a short chapter but I needed some transition. Next chapter DA meeting.

It's been a long month of not enough sleep. Now I am going on a weekend vacation right away, so if I don't get the next chapter up this morning, there won't be anything til Monday night at the earliest.

Stats: 18 chapters, 38 400 words, 161 reviews, 29952 hits, 18 c2s, 57 favorites, 139 alerts.

Thanks for reading, review if you've got the time. I have to go pack now

Apothecary in training


	19. First DA Meeting

I own nothing. Except a new bookbag. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

…………………….

Chapter 19 First DA meeting

Thursday night, Harry watched all the former members of Dumbledore's Army enter the room of requirement. He wasn't sure how his planned speech was going to go over. When every previous member had arrived, except Cho, Marietta and those who had graduated, the group fell silent as one. Harry took that as his cue.

Harry began, "Good evening, everyone and welcome to the first meeting of the second year of the DA. The first order of business is to inform you that the list you signed last year will be revoked. That means that the hex on Marietta should start wearing off soon and that we need a new commitment." Harry had asked Hermione to undo the enchantment on the list and she promised to have it done by the weekend.

"I know we didn't ask last year, this time I am tell you what signing entails. One: you won't give any details to anyone who has not signed the parchment. Two: no talking to professors about what we are doing. We do not have permission, mostly because if we asked they would insist on running it and treating us like children. We are not children and the time to be protected has passed. They would object to most of what I am planning on teaching you." Harry paused to let the knowledge that what they are doing is still illegal sink in.

"Three: if you want to bring someone into the group, you will be able to use the word DA and tell them to see me. Anything more will activate the punishments. Anyone you recommend reflects on you. If they slack or don't take this seriously, we will trust you less. Be sure before you speak. Lastly: the punishment for violating the contract this year is significantly worse than having spots spelling sneak. By signing you are agreeing not to tell anyone what we are up to and to not serve Voldemort. If you don't want to sign, see me to turn in your galleon and be obliviated." There was silence as Harry finished. Everyone seemed surprised at the lengths he was going to. In the silence Harry picked up the quill and handed it to Hermione, who signed the parchment, followed by Ron. They had known most of what Harry was going to say.

Then there was a pause. Everyone seemed to be aware of the commitment they were making. But true to form, a Weasley was next to sign: Ginny. She led the crowd as they lined up. No one turned in their galleons.

Once everyone was finished, Hermione took the parchment, checked it before spelling it blank. Once she had put it away Harry asked everyone to stand up in a straight line. This part Hermione and Ron didn't know about.

"The time for stunning and body binds has passed. In the battle, I and some of your colleagues fought, we were hopelessly outclassed and out numbered. Worse yet, every spell we successfully landed was reversed. Every _stupefy_ was _enervated_. Every _petrificus _was _finited._ Most of the spells we were hit with took us out. A flame charm knocked one unconscious for hours and took weeks to heal. Blunt trauma causing a broken ankle kept one of us from being able to run or fight. A cheering curse made one of our number a liability rather than a help. Blunt trauma knocked another unconscious. A broken nose made one unable to articulate a spell. A good man died to save us when only two of our number were left standing by the time we were rescued."

"What do we do about this? What did we learn?"

"Defensively we need healing spells. Something fast and dirty so we can keep moving. We need better shield spells. Particularly against physical attack. Offensively we need spells that can't be reversed. I don't mean unforgivables but old spells that have fallen out of use and spells used in unexpected ways. We also need to be able to cast silently so that a broken nose or _silencio _won't stop us."

"Now to my next point. By joining last year you said you were willing to learn to fight. Now I am asking if you are willing to actually fight. I am asking if you have a reason to die for a cause because Merlin knows not all of us will survive the war. Some of us have lost family and friends. Some of us are targets just because of the circumstances of our birth. Now is the time to choose. The biggest question is: are you willing to kill. Even if you are not casting AK you could still take a life in battle. You could be trying to cut off a person's wand arm and miss and slice their throat. That is the risk you take in going into battle. If you are willing to kill, step forward and you will become the offensive DA. If you are not, step back and become the defensive DA. You will still be trained but the tactics will be different you sill focus on shields and healing and evacuation plans and protecting the younger students. The offensive DA will learn hexes and curses and battle plans. Take a minute and think before you take that step."

Most of the room took a step forward. The few stepping back were Hannah Abbott, Michael Corner, the Creevey brothers, Padma and Pavarti Patil and Zacharias Smith. Harry approached Ginny and Luna.

"Listen, I know it's a lot to ask of you but could you two step back and be in charge of the Defensive DA. I need people I trust in charge of them and I promise I will teach you everything the Offensive DA knows."

Ginny glared at him, "Is this because we are younger and girls? Why us, and not Hermione, Ron or Neville?"

Harry answered, "I need Hermione and Ron protecting my back. They have always been the ones to do it. And for Neville, I can't really say, but it has to do with the seventh month. I need you two because I can always communicate with you Ginny because of your telepathy and Luna's aura sight means that she can see through any disguise so we won't have infiltrators in those you are trying to protect."

Luna seemed to completely understand what he wasn't saying, in her peculiar way. "Destiny always chooses what is best. I agree to lead the DDA."

"Okay," said Ginny, "but you have to teach us everything the other group learns."

"Of course."

Harry turned back to the large group. "Now the next order of business is recruitment. We need more members. I want there to be at least forty of us and at most fifty. So if you know anyone you think might want to fight tell them to meet me, between 8 and 9 in the collapsed tunnel behind the mirror on the fourth floor, east side. The password is refracto. I will be there every night for the next week."

"For who I want you to ask. They should be at least fourth years. Be sure they are trustworthy. They don't have to be the best fighters or casters, they can be taught. The big thing I am asking is, I want some Slytherins."

There was instant uproar. He had not warned his friends that he was going to say this. There were protests from all over the room. Ron was the loudest.

Harry had to yell. "Enough!" There was silence for a moment before he continued. "I am not asking Malfoy and the Death Eater juniors. I am asking for people that want to protect the school. Slytherin is not synonymous with bigot. The qualities of the houses aren't clever, brave, loyal and evil. Slytherins are ambitious. There is no sin in wanting to prove yourself at age 11. The reason we don't have any of them on our side is that we judge them instantly, so they have no chance to join us. There are plenty of them that have never said a word against me. This school will fall if we don't have all four houses with us. We need a well rounded group and that includes cunning. And they will need to be that if they want to get around Malfoy."

"Does anyone know of at least one Slytherin they would invite?" Harry watched as most of the Ravenclaws and a couple Hufflepuffs nodded. "Good give them the meet point and I will talk to them there."

"Now I am going to give you each something as a perk of the DA. Does anyone know what a fateor is?" Several of the Ravenclaws nodded and everyone else looked confused.

Micheal Corner said, "It shows your magical talents. It is also extremely expensive for even one."

"Right, well every member will get one. I made them. I thought we should have some extras up our sleeves." Harry handed out the parchment and instructed on their use.

When everyone had done as he said he asked, "Okay, everybody has used their fateor? Lets start will the problems. Does anyone have a power block?"

No one answered.

"Good. Has anyone had a memory charm placed on them?"

Half of the girls in the room raise their hands. All of them were sixth and seventh years.

_What the hell, this can't be good._

"Okay, I can remove the charm and restore your memories with Legilimency. You don't have to, this is entirely up to you. If you don't trust me enough you can go to Dumbledore or Snape. I swear that if I do it, I will never tell anyone what I find."

Lavender Brown stood up and said, "I want to know and I trust you, Harry."

Harry instructed her to sit down and stare into his eyes. It took him several minutes to find where the charm had been applied. He forced himself to forget everything else he saw in her memories. She had a right to privacy. When he reached the missing memory he used the same technique he had on Neville to rebuild it from the edge in. What he found shocked him. He left Lavenders mind and closed his eyes.

Lavender burst into tears and Harry heard Dean make a move towards her. "Dean, stop. Don't. Hermione, please." Harry was still processing what he had seen as he moved away from Lavender.

Hermione asked, "Harry what happened?"

"I said I wouldn't tell and I won't. Neville can you go to Madame Pomfrey and request a mind healer be brought in on the excuse of me restoring your memories."

Neville agreed to request it right after the meeting. Harry stood there feeling like he had been beaten over the head and thrown into a mud puddle. He hurt all over and desparately wanted a shower.

He took a steadying breath before saying, "All right. Ladies, if you raised your hand I suspect your memory was modified for the same reason as Lavender's. I will tell you right now that it is horrible. But can you live with knowing that something horrible happened and you can't remember it?"

By the end of the evening, Harry had to restore the memories of another five girls, all that had memory charms placed on them. All the charms were done by the same person.

_If Lockhart ever recovers I swear I will have him sent to Azkaban._

………………………

A/N

That's it. I've got a bus to catch. I will write as soon as I can. The vast majority of this chapter was written in two parts over a month ago.

Not sure where exactly it's heading next.

I will keep it short. Review are welcome and have a great weekend.

Apothecary in training


	20. Enter the Slytherins

I own nothing. Except a comfy orange hoodie. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

_W wolf's thoughts W_

…………………….

Chapter 20 Enter the Slytherins

Friday was a trying day all around. Several girls were missing from classes and Hermione told Harry that Lavender had been having nightmares the previous night and ended up sleeping through the day, in the hospital wing, on Dreamless sleep potion. Rumour had it that a mind healer would arrive at the school Saturday morning. Harry believed a few girls would end up having the oblivate spell replaced, for their own health.

This led to a dark mood amongst those who knew or suspected what had happened to the girls. Harry refused to confirm or deny the rumours that were being quietly passed around. One of the plus sides of the secrecy spell was that no one in the DA could reveal what they knew; the sources for the gossip were that friends and roommates of those affected.

Harry himself had spent a relatively sleepless night holding James and trying to focus on the good in the world. It was hard when someone in the trusted position of a teacher had taken advantage of his students. It was a betrayal of the deepest kind.

Charms, that morning, was Harry's first class with Neville since his obliviation had been removed. The difference was immediately apparent. Neville was more able to concentrate and seemed to have more power behind his spells, but some of that was likely due to having a properly matched wand now. Neville actually answered some of Professor Flitwick's questions and earned 10 points for Gryffindor. He was also one of the first to successfully cast Aguamenti during the practical part. Hermione was the first to cast and Harry waited until half the class had succeeded before even attempting the spell. He was trying to keep a low profile.

The afternoon was spent doing homework in James's nursery while Hermione was at Arithmancy and Ron was making up a plan for Quidditch tryouts. Professor Flitwick had assigned an essay on silent incantations and informed the class that they would be expected to cast the water charm silently next week. Harry discovered that force of mind was the key to wordless spellwork. He felt he would have an advantage over most, since he had been forcing his magic through the powerblock for years.

The baby himself was content to play on a blanket on the floor while Harry wrote up his essay. He seemed to enjoy laying on his stomach with his head up and turning in all directions to look at everything. Every time James looked at Harry he would give a wide, wet smile and rock back and forth as if trying to move towards his father before going back to gazing around the room and loudly shaking various rattles and toys.

Harry reluctantly placed him back in his crib to take a nap when it was time for Harry to go to supper in the Great Hall. The infant had been fed and changed and would sleep until around ten that evening.

Harry sat down across from Ron and Hermione, and next to Ginny at supper. When he was reaching for the mashed potatoes to go with his Salisbury steak, Ron asked, "Harry, what in Merlin's name in on your shoulder. That looks disgusting."

Harry looked over and cast a quick and quiet Evanesco on his robe. "Nothing. How was Arithmancy Hermione?"

Harry could tell that his subject change hadn't been entirely successful as Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look at his avoidance before Hermione went into a long lecture about probability models and the magical power of prime numbers.

Harry knew exactly what had been on his shoulder. It wasn't the first time the James had missed the spit up towel while being burped and since Harry was now wearing so much thicker clothing now, he hadn't felt it at all. He just hoped that none of his friends had enough child care experience to recognize baby vomit.

Dinner passed with no more comments of stains on clothing and Harry had to excuse himself to go wait in the collapsed passage out of the school for prospective members of the DA. The room was wide and the blockage was about four metres in, there were lights on the walls which cast large shadows.

He had only been waiting ten minutes when the mirror opened. Two people came in but did not step into the light They stayed just inside the entrance as the mirror shut and one voice, a female voice said, "For our own safety, I am going to ask for you wand."

Harry knew that he didn't really need his wand to do magic but it was still extremely valuable as it was a brother wand to Voldemort's. He did not want to hand it over without some insurance.

"How about we all set our wands in the middle of the room and take two steps back."

"Agreed." This came from another female voice, different from the first.

Harry took the initiative and set his wand in the center of the room and took the requisite steps back. He watched as two Slytherin girls from his year approached and stepped back. All three occupants of the room were disarmed. Harry recognized Daphne Greengrass and he thought the other girl was named something Davis.

After a minute of staring, Harry asked, "Who told you to be here?"

Greengrass answered, "Padma Patil. What did she mean DA?"

"Good, I trust Padma's judgement. DA is our defence against the darks group. Last year it stood for Dumbledore's Army. Now it is just the Defence Association. We get together to learn and plan. Our goal is to protect the school and the students."

"And Dumbledore knows about this?" questioned Davis.

"No, he doesn't. We are safer if no other faction of the war knows about us. We are independent of anything and comprised of only students."

"How are you going to keep him from finding out? He knows everything that goes on in this school."

"He doesn't. He knows less than you think." Harry was thinking of the number of illegal animagi that had passed through the school. "Every member has to sign a contract saying they will not speak to any non-members about what we are doing. It has enchantments to ensure that no one violates it." Harry informed the girls.

"What would you expect us to do?"

"Mostly, just learn. If we are attacked you can choose to help evacuate or to fight. That much is up to you. If you want to let us know what your housemates are up to, we would be grateful, but I won't demand it."

Greengrass smirked. "You want us to spy on Malfoy." It wasn't a question.

"Only if you are willing. I will give you a couple minutes to talk and decide if you want to join. If not I will have to obliviate the last half hour from your mind so that you can't betray us."

With that Harry stepped back and sat against the caved in wall and waited for the girls to come to a decision. It took a short whispered conversation before both girls agreed to join as Defensive DA members.

Harry welcomed them as the first Slytherin members and gave them each a fake galleon and a fateor to use. They were both speechless, as they knew the value of such papers.

"Your handling of this was very cunning, Slytherin-like in fact," said the girl the Harry know knew, from the contract was named Tracy Davis.

Harry gave her a smirk. "Coming from a member of that house, I will take that as a compliment."

……………………….

A/N I'm back. It has been a long month all around. I just finished my first apprenticeship and it was exhausting. I may or may not be writing more consistently now. It depends on if my muse has abandoned me or not.

Oh yes, I will not be writing in the story what Lockhart did. I thought I implied it well enough. If you don't get it, you can PM me.

Random fic rec: Starting From Scratch by JadeSullivan I love the Harry Sirius parental bonding here.

Woohoo. I almost have as many hits as I do words on this story. I am celebrating…

Anyway, hopefully (cross my fingers) I will post again soon…

Oh yeah still looking for a beta (not very hard thought) if anyone is interested.

"If nothing you do matters, then all that matters is what you do" –Angel

Apothecary in training.


	21. Right or Wrong

Chapter 21 Right or wrong

I own nothing. Except a shiny new laptop. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

W wolf's thoughts W

This chapter is dedicated to xRosePetalx, the 200th reviewer of this story

……………..

Chapter 21 Right or wrong

Harry convened with his five closest friends on late Saturday night to continue their discussions of the previous Monday. They once again sat in the "meeting room" of the Room of Requirement.

The first thing to do was to consult Padfoot's last message regarding the others animagus forms.

Ron demanded, "Do mine first!" It told them that Ron's lion was due to his easygoing or lazy attitude regarding everyday life but amazing power and determination when it was time to fight.

Ginny's German Shepard was because of her 'fierce bark with the force to back it up.' The parchment also wrote of the commendable loyalty displayed by having a dog form. They all laughed at that statement. The imprint had Sirius's lack of modesty to a tee.

Hermione's animal alter ego was because of her independence and intelligence backed up by the cunning that was often evident.

Lastly, Neville's bear was because of his tendency to back down and retreat until something was really worth it, in which case he made a fierce opponent.

"What about our other skills?" questioned Hermione.

"Well, that kind of has to be done individually. I can help Ginny with her telepathy and occlumency since I have mental arts skills. The element thing is really personal and Neville and I are complete opposites so I can help much. I will offer myself up as a guinea pig for Luna to read my aura, if the rest of us do the same she should be able to figure most of us out." Harry hesitated before continuing on to the next thing he wanted to bring up.

"One of the texts I read this summer was on wandlore. It was pretty vague and stressed that it isn't a simple science, that our wands are more like semi-sentient beings. I was wondering if everyone else has a wand that chose them now that Neville had to replace his."

Obviously, Hermione nodded, as she didn't have anyone to inherit a wand from. Luna dreamily made a sound of affirmation.

"I got a new wand when Ron had to replace his, with the prize draw money after my first year," said Ginny.

Harry continued, "Okay, that is a good thing one the whole. The research I read said that it is important to bond your wand. If you get a new wand after you leave school it will never work as well for you as your original. That's because the wand and wizard or witch have this relationship where you teach each other. It is much harder to cast a spell the first time that it is later on because your wand knows what you intend so that you don't have to be so precise."

Hermione interrupted, "So what would happen if you were to use Luna's wand to cast a Patronus and then give is back. Would she be able to do the spell easier?"

"No. Actually me taking her wand would interfere in her bond with the wand and it might change loyalty and become my wand, especially depending on the core material."

"Oh, that would have been really useful to be able to teach each others wand the spells we know so that it will be easier for us to learn," sighed Ron.

"Actually the book had a potion we can use to cross bond our wands so that we can all use them. I originally brought this up because I thought it would be good if we could use each others wands comfortably, since Nev ended up using Hermione's wand for quite a while in the Department of Mysteries. It also means that no one but us will be able to use our wands, so an enemy can't claim them."

Neville hesitantly asked, "So where's the catch, this sounds too good to be true."

"For one, we need our wands to be balanced. There can only be one of each type of wood and an equal number of each kind of cores. So what do we all have?" Harry asked.

"Harry!" exclaimed Ginny with shock.

"What?"

"Mate, its times like this that it's obvious that you were muggle-raised. You just don't ask people that. It's like asking what kind of underwear you prefer."

"Why?"

This time Hermione answered the question. "Because your wand is like the key to your soul. The wood has to do with your personality and your core shows your power and skill. I was told not to tell anyone about my wand unless I really trust them. But I also understand why we are doing this so it dragonheartstring and vinewood.

Neville said, "Unicorn hair and cherry."

"Dragonheartstring and birch" was Luna's response.

"Holly and phoenix feather."

Finally only the Weasley siblings had not answered. Ginny took a deep breath and said "Phoenix feather and beech"

"Unicorn hair and willow.

"Good, so we can actually do the ritual. I have the potion made, the only thing other thing we need is to heat it to body temperature and to add five drops of our blood each."

This time it was Hermione who was horrified. "Harry any potion or ritual involving blood is dark and illegal. I can't believe you would suggest something so wrong!"

Harry was surprised by this, as he had already done several rituals that required a blood price, but only of his own blood. "Who classified it them as dark?"

"Well, the ministry did."

Meanwhile, Neville looked uncomfortable and Luna looked interested. The Weasley siblings seemed disconcerted but not horrified.

Harry tried to apply some logic. "So the ritual to unbind my magic was dark."

"You used blood sacrifice to do it?"

"I needed a stand in for my parents. It should have been a magical energy cost to them, but since I am an orphan I needed a way to pay the price."

"What are you talking about magical price?" Hermione was confused but the others seemed to have understood his statement.

"When you read about the deeper nature of magic it talks about magical price. When we normally cast a spell it has a magical cost of our own energy, that's why casting a Patronus will make you tired because it has one of the highest magical energy costs of any spell. Anything requiring more will ask for a blood cost. Any spell or ritual that does anything really big requires a greater cost. It is the price of our abilities."

"So you are saying that the blood doesn't make it dark, it just makes it powerful. How can you justify taking someone's blood for your own benefit. It's just wrong." Hermione was getting frustrated by the conversation.

"That is not what I am saying. It's just, what is the wrong in using my own blood as a sacrifice, even a large amount if I collect it over a long time?"

Hermione paused and thought about it for a while before saying, "Well, nothing other than sanitation, I suppose. But many rituals require blood from someone else."

"Okay, let's go through this in stages. What if I say, 'Ron mate, can I have a dram of your blood?' Most of the time it won't work if it isn't willingly given if that is what is specified. If I guilt him into it, or try to force him at all the sacrifice has no magical value. So where is the harm in it?"

"Okay, I don't think that's a problem. What if the spell wants blood not willingly given? How can taking blood be okay?"

"Well does the blood have to be human? What if I transfigure a cup into a rat and bleed it. It's not really an animal and afterwards I can transfigure it back to a cup. The next things are rituals that require the lifeblood of a being. Transfigured animals don't work because they are not truly alive. In that case, I could go to a muggle butcher shop and buy cows blood. The cow is dead, so it is lifeblood but it was not killed for my purpose."

Hermione gave Harry a searching look, "So you truly don't believe blood sacrifices are wrong."

"No, I believe that some are wrong. Unwilling human, human lifeblood, hunted animal and whole body sacrifice are wrong in my mind. But everyone has to be able to decide for themselves. My biggest problem is that the Ministry has arbitrarily decided all blood sacrifice is wrong so they are preventing us from using some of the most powerful wards and rituals. The wards that protected me at the Dursleys were based on a willing human lifeblood sacrifice. They are unbreakable. There was no ill intent anywhere in their setting and maintenance. Was Dumbledore wrong in setting them up?"

"Well, no, I suppose not but it just seems so taboo to use blood sacrifice indiscriminately."

Neville chimed in, "Some of the potions I used to fertilize specific plants require the grower's blood. The plants are some of the most difficult ones to grow but are necessary for medical potions like the blood restorative draught."

"Bill set wards around the Burrow this summer that needed blood. Between the eight of us we had to give four and half litres, the same amount that is in the average person. Charlie even owled some to us from Romania so that we wouldn't have to be bled so many times. The wards mean that no one who intends to harm us can enter the area, but they aren't really strong enough to protect us because they weren't lifeblood so we still can't live at home. But it should protect the Burrow as long as no one is interested enough to make a serious attack, which is why we can't stay there.

"B-but why would everyone be using blood if it's illegal?" asked Hermione.

"Bill can't be punished for using blood because he is a curse breaker. It is a part of the license," said Ron.

"Well, I am not supposed to be the one donating to the potion, Sprout has a mastery so she is allowed, but the plants will be more potent with a younger person's blood, so we bent the rules."

"Well, I still don't know, but for this one time I guess it is okay, since we are using so little."

Harry reassured Hermione, "It's alright to not really be sure and to judge every situation on its own. That is really what I want, to think everything through. But I really want to do this ritual so that you all will have the protection of being able to use the brother wand to Voldemort."

"What?" exclaimed Ginny.

"Oh, er, didn't I tell you that Voldemort's wand and mine both have feathers from Fawkes."

"No, you didn't. Why is that protection for us?"

"They don't work against each other. If you cast at the same time, one of the wands will give off echoes of its past spells." Harry looked at the shocked faces that were processing that information. "Will you use this potion with me?"

There were nods all around. Ron asked, "What do we have to do?"

Harry set a large cauldron, added a potion from a bottle and started it to heating. "When this gets to 35 degrees, we each add five drops of blood and then we soak our wands in it for an hour. The blood will infuse the core and make it so that only a person with one of those bloods will be able to use the wands."

Ginny asked, "Will our brothers be able to use them?"

"No, they won't. It has to be an exact match. An identical twin would be able to but not a sibling or child, so our wands also won't be able to be passed down."

When the potion was at the right temperature, they each added a few drops of blood to the cauldron. What no one else noticed was Harry adding five drops of James's blood from a vial he had in his pocket. One of the requirements on the procedure was to have more people than there were wands. Harry had very carefully collected the blood that afternoon. Once the thirty-fifth drop of blood had been added the potion went from a green colour to a bright blue and they all dropped their wands into the concoction.

Ron and Hermione played chess, while Luna watched Neville, Ginny and Harry play Exploding Snap until timer went off to let them know that an hour was up. Harry used his wandless abilities to levitate the wands out of the potion and used Air to quick dry them. He grabbed his wand and motioned for the others to do the same.

Harry cast evanesco on the cauldron and the potion disappeared as it was supposed to. He watched the others cast small charms, which all worked perfectly.

Harry looked at Ginny and said, "Switch," as he handed over his wand.

He gripped the unfamiliar beech wand and cast, "Expecto Patronum." In a flash of bright light, Prongs appeared from the wand.

At the same time Ginny used Harry's wand to cast the bat bogey hex on a training dummy that the room had provided seconds earlier.

They grinned at each other. It was more comfortable to cast with their own wands but they had no problems with each others. The other four in the room experienced the same thing.

………………….

A/N Happy Canada Day everyone!! That why I am posting today.

I love legal vs. moral debates. It entertains me to no end.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews; they are why I keep writing.


	22. Acute Otitis Media

I own nothing. Except a used double bed that I got from my brother, who got it from…., well that's actually a good question. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

W wolf's thoughts W

This chapter is dedicated to Stew, who can no longer review by crossing the hall and actually has to post them.

………

Chapter 22 Acute Otitis Media

Tuesday night, Harry woke with a jolt due to his burning watch. It was the hottest he had ever felt it. He was worried, especially since James now slept through the night and it was only 3 am.

Moving quickly, but quietly, so as to not wake his roommates, the teen father entered his trunk to the nursery. His son was in his crib completely red faced and screaming. His feet were raised and kicking as he wailed. The babe's arms were also up and his hands were fisted.

The child was the most distressed that his father had ever seen him. He did not respond to any attempts at comfort, not cuddling or back patting or bouncing. He just continued to scream and kick.

After a few minutes, Harry noticed that James was warmer than could be accounted for by a crying fit. He definitely had a fever.

Harry held his struggling son in one arm as he flipped through 'A Healer's Helpmate' to a diagnostic charm. The results were terrifying.

'Unknown infection – see a qualified Healer'

_A healer, we can't go to a healer. They are bound by oath to report all cases of child endangerment and he or she might see this as such. Especially since half the wizarding world thought I was insane last year._

_But I can't not take him to a healer. He is sick and needs treatment, so no other choice._

_But I also can't get out of school to take him to St. Mungo's. _

_If I can't leave school, then I must stay here, so I guess Hospital Wing. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal him. And I might be able to convince her not to report it, since she probably knows I am sane._

While Harry was having his internal dialogue, it started to get wetter in the nursery. Last time, James had a crying fit only pure water had been affected, this time anything damp was changing. There were couple bottles of formula that burst, the wet wipes were bubbling over and the magical windowpane had condensation on it.

_Good thing most of the formula is powdered. Oh, well deal with that later._

"Sorry about this buddy," Harry said to his son as he placed a silencing charm on the child. He continued to kick and his mouth worked to show that he was still crying but not a sound escaped. Harry then transfigured his own pajamas into something warmer and wrapped the infant in a blanket for the trip through the chilly castle.

Harry left the trunk with his son and out into the boys dormitory. He checked to make sure everyone was asleep before climbing out a retrieving his invisibility cloak from under his pillow. He donned it, made sure he was completely covered before heading to the Hospital Wing.

……..

Harry had only taken 5 steps into the deserted room, before Madam Pomfrey came out of her office.

_Her rooms must be attached and she must have monitoring charms on the door._

"Who's there?" asked the Medi-witch, who obviously couldn't see through the cloak.

Harry pulled down the hood and she jumped. "Do you promise to hear me out before you contact any authorities?"

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing here? What…?" She had spotted a vase of flowers overflowing and a water pitcher rapidly filling as James's elemental powers took effect on the room.

"That is not going to stop until you answer. Do you promise?" Harry was having a hard time holding onto the squirming infant.

"Yes, yes, of course," replied Madam Pomfrey. She was still looking at the water overflowing the containers.

Harry completely pulled off the cloak, and hit the door to the wing with a privacy spell before removing the silencing spell on James. "Please heal him." Harry pleaded with the Matron. The babies cries were now of tired desperation. "The diagnostic spell said unknown infection."

The woman gaped for the space of a breath before, coming back to herself. She gestured for Harry to sit on one of the beds and made no effort to get him to release his son, either to her or to a cot. Not that Harry would have loosened his hold on the baby, when he was in such distress.

She made complex movements with her wand until a line of printing appeared from the end as if it was a ribbon.

"What does it say?" demanded the stressed father.

"Acute Otitis media."

Harry's eyes went wide. "What does that mean?"

The nurse gave him a thin smile. "He has an ear infection." Harry felt an incredible amount of tension drain out of him, not all of it, because the baby was still in distress. Harry watched the nurse hurry to a potions cupboard as he basked in the relief that his son would be okay. Harry remembered having ear infections when he was young; it was a perfectly normal and minor illness.

The matron returned with a small vial and a dropper. "Do you know if he is allergic to anything? Has he ever been given Muggle penicillin?"

Harry pulled the little notebook with James's medical history out of his pocket. He flipped quickly. "No. No allergies and he had penicillin just after he was born."

"Okay so he needs 5 drops of this potion orally every 3 hours for the next day (t 5 gtts po q3h f 1/7)." She bent over Harry and James to stick the dropper in the child's mouth and give the medication. Within second the wails lessen and the baby's eyes drooped. "You are very lucky I spend my summers working with younger children or I wouldn't have known what dosage to give."

Harry could only nod. While it had only been an hour since James had woken him up it felt like it had been days. He had never been so relieved in his life that the baby was alright and he felt like he could watch his son sleep for the next decade.

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. Harry jerked and looked up. She was scowling at his but he could see a hint of a smile in her eyes. "You said you would explain."

Harry gave a deep sigh and scooted back on the bed so that he could lean against the headboard. "Madam Pomfrey, meet James Tyler Potter."

"How did this happen?"

Harry gave a laugh. "In quite the usual way. I arrived home this summer to my relatives informing me that I had a two half month old son and that my ex-girlfriend had died. His grandparents didn't want him; no way would my aunt and uncle care for him so I am all he has. Then I found out that the ministry would take him from me so I didn't tell anyone. No one knows."

"I do know how a child would happen, Mr. Potter, and I can very much tell that he is your son. I meant how you got around the abstinence spell."

"The what spell."

"The abstinence spell. Your guardians should have put it on you before your first year."

"My guardians are muggles."

"Muggleborns are spelled by there head of house."

Harry replied, "I'm not a muggleborn."

Poppy Pomfrey's eyes went wide. "Well, I can see how you would have fallen through the cracks there."

Harry gave a one armed shrug careful not to disturb the sleeping baby in his arms. "What does the spell do anyway?"

"It prevents students from getting sexually excited." Harry blushed and looked down. "Do you really believe that parents would let their children go to a co-ed school with minimal supervision if there was not some method of preventing indiscriminate sex? It is actually a requirement of attendance, with a few exceptions. Unfortunately it can only be placed on someone with no experience in the area, so you can't be spelled now. I really should tell the Headmaster that you are not under its effects."

"But you would have to tell why you know that I am outside of the spell and then he would know about James."

Pomfrey gave him a quizzical look. "Why is it so important that no one knows about your child? I know that guardianship law and its purpose doesn't really apply here. It was passed to stop parents from pulling their daughters out of school before they came of age. It was popular several centuries ago for young women to be married young and start the next generation of heirs while they were still under aged and more influenced by their parents. The ministry felt that the practice was doing disservice to population and the children of uneducated mothers. If the heir would be raised by the ministry, there would be no added influence from the maternal grandparents so no benefit to the girls dropping out of school. You already have your child and his being was unintentional and not out of a desire for an heir."

Harry was amazed at this information. Now the law made much more sense. Accidental teenage parenthood was supposed to be impossible so they wanted to stop it from being intentional. "Okay, I understand the point of the law, but they will still use it against me if they can. The ministry wants to control me, the minister wants me to be his poster boy and he will likely use anything he can, including my baby. If the ministry gets him, I would do anything wanted to get him back. And the ministry is full of Death Eater spies who would kidnap him and either kill him or force me to exchange myself for him. Do you understand why he has to stay secret?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I understand what you want and I will keep him and your status secret, but you must swear to me that you will not have intercourse with any girls while you are still a student or I will report you to the Headmaster, Mr. Potter."

Harry blushed so hard that he felt his stomach grow warm, or maybe James had just peed on him. He looked the Matron in the eye and said, "I think since we are discussing my sex life, you should call me Harry. Anyways, you said that all the girls here can't get, er, excited." She nodded. "So sleeping with one of them would be the same as raping her." The woman looked slightly taken aback at his point of view but had to agree. "I would never do such a thing. And besides the only girl I am interested in has six older brothers who would quite cheerfully disembowel me if I tried anything of that sort."

"Alright, I won't tell Professor Dumbledore. You should also be very careful that he doesn't find out before you come of age." Harry gave her a questioning look. "The headmaster, more than anyone else, could lose his position if he was found guilty of endangering a child, which by the word of the law he would be doing if he knew you were the caregiver of a child while underage and he didn't report it to the Ministry."

Harry nodded and they spent a few minutes going over the child's medical history, and Harry had to suffer through another injection for James, who didn't even wake up due to the potion he had been given. This time the injection was for dragon pox, a completely magical illness.

After a moment of silence the nurse asked Harry, "What made the water overflow?"

"James is a water elemental. That happens when he gets upset. Unfortunately, it appears to work on anything with water in it, not just water."

"When did he get his magical abilities?"

"Well the elemental thing, I saw for the first time a couple weeks into summer. His powers started 4 months before he was born."

"Dear Merlin. Just how powerful is he?" The Mediwitch seemed to be having trouble breathing due to shock.

"I dunno. Probably more powerful than me. He has more animagus forms at least."

"How many?"

"I have three. He has four."

"Dumbledore has three as well. Are you telling me that, this not even five month old infant, who has just peed on you, is the most powerful wizard in Britain, possibly the world?"

_Damn, that was pee. Oh well, not the first time. _"I guess so. How can you tell?"

"Animagus abilities are a multiplicative indicator of power. Someone with two forms will have double the power of someone with one. Of course, this is mostly theoretical but someone who barely has the minimum requirement for one step will be that much more power than someone who barely met the requirement for the step below. This is not foolproof, some powerful witches and wizards just don't have animagus abilities."

Harry was reeling from information overload. "How do you know all this?"

She smiled at him. "My training research was on the measurement of magical power. Since the last Merlin's Orb broke there are no really reliable measures."

There was silence.

Then the medi-witch bluntly said, "You'll have to bind his power." Harry just nodded. He had assumed so since his parents had done it to him. He knew that it was a necessity. "You should wait until his seventh month birthday but you need to start researching the process soon and decide which type you want to do. Now my last question for you this night, since the sun is coming up soon and you should get some sleep before class, is where you have been keeping the baby."

"I have a trunk with a dimensional door to a good sized room that is set up as a nursery. It has windows and charms to keep it safe to live in."

"How often does he leave his room? When was the last time he was outside?"

"This is the first time he's left since school started and he hasn't been outside since the end of July when we left Surrey." Harry flinched in preparation for the explosion.

"Mr. Potter, Harry, children need sunlight and fresh air. I know you have to keep him safe but you also need to take him outside while it is still nice." The witch was very firm on this and Harry resigned himself to some plotting in order to take James out on the grounds. Harry's legs wobbled with tiredness as he left the hospital wing for the deserted school.

…………..

A/N There somebody knows. And sorry it wasn't Ginny who found out first.

Note: People will only find out about James if there is a reason for it, or I think of a good situation for the discovery. Most characters won't know until Harry is of age. And about the Harry/Ginny thing. I don't want to rush it. There is a reason why this story is Drama/Family for genre and not romance.

Happy anniversary of the 7th book. I can't believe it has already been a year.

I had some amazing reviews this time thanks to Voldy'sGoneMoldy, Stewart, gypsyboho, starboy454, knickknack, guru-poisonous blowfish, xrosepetalx, igymnast, bodrugan, deliadee, xx hidden secret xx, and SiriusBlackLivesOn.

This chapter was a bit of an info dump, but I did get a chance to explain some of my logic to what is happening.

Also I could resist putting in the medical sig for the directions for the potion. Call it Rx obsession.

Random Story rec: Harry Potter and the Soul Gems by shedoc - warning its MPREG but quite different than normal ones.

Have a good night, a happy day, a peaceful meal and pleasant company.

Apothecary in training.


	23. Detention

I own nothing. Except a brand new Timex Ironman watch, since my last one finally broke after 12 years. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

W wolf's thoughts W

……….

Chapter 23 Detention

Harry did not get back to sleep that night. He had to clean up the nursery and prepare bottles to replace the ones that were ruined by James's powers. It was considerably faster to make them now, than it had been when they were in Little Whinging, since all the sterilization could be done with a spell, instead of having to boil the water. The charms involved were time consuming and difficult though. They had multiple steps and the conjuring of water that was suitable for an infant's consumption was different from a standard Aguamenti. That spell produced water with a too high iron concentration that would upset a baby's digestive system. So, Harry had a few hours of spellwork to do before his son wanted breakfast.

Harry could feel the aches in his bones and the wobble in his legs as he fed the child said breakfast. He wanted nothing more that to go to sleep but he had Transfiguration in less than an hour and he couldn't skip class. It would raise too many questions.

The teen went so far as to cast glamours on his face so that the bruises under his eyes would not give away his long night.

………………….

"Mr. Potter do you find the topic of human transfiguration so simple that you may sleep through my lecture?" demanded Professor McGonagall.

Harry sat up with a jerk. He could see a disapproving glare on Hermione's face and the Slytherins where wearing gleeful looks.

"No, Professor." He had tried to stay awake, but he had drifted off sometime after the teacher started on the complex visualization process involved.

"Would you care to demonstrate how to change the colour of your eyebrows since you chose not to listen to my instructions?"

He didn't know the incantation involved so he had to answer, "No, Professor."

"Then you'll have to demonstrate the spell for me when you come for your detention tonight at seven." With that the professor continued on in her lecture and Harry bit back a groan. Now he would have to spend his afternoon learning how to do the spell and his evening in detention. He would miss at least a couple hours he could have spent with his son doing something that had little practical application.

…………………..

"Do you know why you are here, Mr. Potter?" They were looking at each other from across two desks. The sky outside was dark and cloudless. The castle had already begun to develop the bone deep chill of winter, even though it was barely autumn.

Harry hated such inane questioning that had no purpose other than to make him feel guilty. "Yes, Professor. I fell asleep in your class, distracted my classmates and wasted your precious time." This was all said in a sincere tone, due to the fact that, in any other circumstance, he would have felt badly for sleeping during his Head of House's instruction.

She blinked at him, before gazing at him, searching for honesty in his words. "Yes, well, I was more hoping to make sure you had your priorities in order. You are a NEWT student and your whole future is resting on the outcome of your exams next year. Even though you are not taking the subjects required to become an Auror, your career options will be further limited if you don't put the effort into passing your classes."

"I am sorry for today, but I do think I have my, err, priorities in order."

"I am just bringing it up, to make sure certain, _extracurricular_ activities aren't getting in the way of your schoolwork."

_Extracurricular activities, what is she thinking about. The only thing I had was Quidditch and I already gave that up. Oh, no, she must suspect that the DA still exists. We will lose all freedom if she knows for sure._

"I am not sure what you are talking about, Professor. I am not a prefect and I am not a part of any club that would divert my attention from my assignments and classes." Harry knew that he had some talent at lying, after all how many times had he denied involvement in the disappearance of food from the Dursleys. He considered it a skill not to be overused though.

"Alright, Mr. Potter. I just wanted to bring it up. Now for detention I would like you to write _I will pay attention in class. _100 times."

………………….

Harry was free a surprisingly short while later. He couldn't believe that he had been given such a short sentence to write so few times. He decided to take advantage of the excess time by retrieving his trunk from the Tower while under the invisibility cloak; so that his friends would think he was still at detention.

After promising to bring James out of the nursery sometimes, Harry had a great idea on what to do with the baby. His son absolutely loved getting baths, though the largest body of water he had been in so far had been a sink. Some of the books said that infants could "swim" or rather float and would instinctively hold their breaths while diving underwater.

Harry opened the last compartment of the trunk in the Room of Requirement, which was nearly identical to the Prefects bathroom. It was missing the mermaid picture and was impermeable to ghosts on Harry's request. One encounter with Myrtle was enough.

Harry brought the baby out into the room after stripping them both in the nursery. James was looking at the shadowy room with wide eyes. This was a rare occasion, where he was awake and his arms and legs were not moving. He was so focused on the new room, he forgot to kick.

Harry had a slightly sticky spell on his hands so the baby wouldn't slip while wet. He waded into the lukewarm pool. It was almost uncomfortable for him since it was so cool, but he knew James would feel it as quite warm. Now the baby's limbs were moving again, as fast as possible to make splashes. He laughed when James giggled; it was the down to the toes laughter that only a child can produce. All the stress of the day was meaningless as he heard and felt though the hand on the child stomach, the joy of the moment. Nothing in the world mattered as much as the child learning, the cause and effect of hitting water. The infant was exploring the world, from the safety of his daddy's arms.

Harry held on tightly as the bobbed through the water. Once James had voluntarily put his face in the water, Harry decided to try the 'diving' technique. It was really more like dipping where the baby travels underwater a few feet, with his parent's hands holding him tightly. Harry quickly scooted his son through the water. He came up laughing and not coughing at all, so it seemed that he understood holding his breath.

James's body squirm and his arm cycled in a parody of an actual swimmer's movements. Instinctively.

They played until James seemed tired then Harry used the baby bath products to get him clean and fresh. Once dried in a fluffy Hogwarts towel, the infant was rocked to sleep in familiar surroundings.

…………………..

A/N Sorry it took so long. It summer and nice out blah, blah, blah. I didn't really feel like writing. And then I start it, and got stuck trying to write McGonagall.

Okay, I am actually going to do some review responses.

I will never publish. I am well aware that I struggle with the English language, often it like pulling teeth to come up with phrasing. I will never write a novel or a screenplay. I hope to, maybe someday write an extremely complicated peer reviewed article in a professional journal, likely about monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies and their treatment of gastro intestinal autoimmune disorders and their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interaction with other medication used for the conditions, if I ever go into research.

James being more powerful than Harry. I originally thought this out on a 16 allele system where a certain number of positive genes were needed for ability. It made sense at the time but I didn't write it down. Now I am thinking along the lines of a 24 allele system where there are positive, negative and masking genes. So if someone had 5 active genes and 5 masking genes, they would have no ability, but would likely produce at least one magical child. James's mother would have had a lot of active genes but as many masking genes but didn't pass on any masking genes, only active and inactive. In my mind Harry doesn't have any masking genes as the Potter line hasn't produced many Squibs and his mother was muggleborn.

The animagus forms. The Red Kite is a British bird. I wanted something that would blend into the English countryside that was similar to a hawk. I always think it is odd to have things that only live in places like Central America and have the characters instantly recognize them (See the fic "Skin Deep" for this). Of course I messed this though up with the raccoon since that is a North American animal. I wanted three animals that are carnivorous and showed Harry's personality. At some point I will likely explore this in the fic, as a nature vs. nurture thing. The forms are a nature thing, the raccoon doesn't fit Harry very well, but it would have if he had been raised by his father, so it would have been higher up in the order instead of last.

Yes, I can't write Dobby. I did try. The tone is difficult, which is why I haven't done it since.

I have thought of the registry book. You have to wait for that (probably a long time.)

Potter line old so better Lily and James' will? We don't know that. The invisibility cloak was handed from mother to daughter for a while and titles and heritage are not matrilineal. I have an explanation for the money but I don't think Harry is titled. Also inheritance to a child is pretty simple. It is even assumed when there is no will. This was merely a will for formalities sake since the Potters didn't expect the Fidelius to fail. Sirius on the other hand expected to die and wanted his money to go to people he wasn't related to so it had to be more complicated.

The abstinence spell – it only affects physical changes necessary for intercourse. It has no effect on emotions or desire, merely the body's reactions to that desire. (It is kind of hard to say this without resorting to crudity.) I just don't think that the students at Hogwarts are having sex, and if they are, then there must be some really good birth control in the food, since we have never seen a teen pregnancy in canon

Hey, I also realized that I would have given James a condition called hospitalism, similar to failure to thrive. A baby needs 200 square feet of area or they may get depressed and stop eating. The nursery I wrote is too small for that. Hence the sneaking out was pushed up a few chapters.

If anyone has anything else they would like me to answer let me know. Thanks for all of the reviews; they definitely gave me something to focus on in my writing. It has been over three years since my last English class (and over five since my last creative writing course) and it's hard to remember where my writing weaknesses are. I am also warning that I plan to rewrite the first two chapters since the new reader feature told me that less than one quarter of the people who read the first chapter go onto the second.

TTFN

Apothecary in Training


	24. Happy Birthday

I own nothing. Except an iTunes gift card that I got for Christmas. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

W wolf's thoughts W

……….

Chapter 24 Happy Birthday

Time passed quickly for Harry. He was so busy with classes, homework, parenting and the DA that he felt like he barely had time to breathe anymore. The DA had grown to its target number, with the biggest gains amongst the fourth years. They had begun researching old spells from the library, as well as from family grimoires. Family spells turned out to be the best nonfatal but unknown spells. They even found a stunner that didn't reverse normally but rather with a water spell. This led to a large increase in the number of students woken up in the morning by buckets of ice cold water, with their friends claiming that they had believed them to have been stunned.

Neville was surprising the teachers as he grew more and more competent in his spell casting. Frankly it was amazing that he got any OWLs with the memory block that he had had. He was now able to answer questions in class and his confidence grew in leaps and bounds. It was hard to believe this was the same child that did not receive any House Points until the closing feast of his first year.

The girls that Harry had reversed Obliviates on were not fairing as well. Two had to be reobliviated, one was prone to bursting into tears at random moments and the other two were either in denial or coping exceptionally well.

Harry had begun to teach his five friends, Luna watched even if she didn't have a form, how to change animagus forms, but none had accomplished it on their first night of practice. Harry demonstrated by mastering his raccoon form, which he had no trouble overpowering. Hermione christened the alter ego Ringo based on the colouring of the animals tail and explained that her father was big fan of the Beetles. This somehow led to Harry trying to explain the bands haircuts to the confused purebloods. After this not much got accomplished on the Animagus front.

Harry woke on the morning of September 19 with a grin. After his normal tending of James and quick run he dashed to the kitchens to get something from the House Elves. He rushed to the Great Hall to see all his friends already seated. Hermione looked a combination of frustrated and disappointed, Ron and Ginny were pretending it was just an ordinary day; Neville was unsuccessfully trying to do the same thing. Luna was also sitting there and Harry honestly couldn't tell if she thought something out of the norm was happening today.

As Harry approached they all looked at him. He set something on the table in front of Hermione and cast an enlarging charm on it. There was a 4 tiered chocolate cake with 17 magical candles on it, having lit when he cast the enlargement charm.

"On this, the seventeen anniversary of you birth, I present you with a talisman, may it bring you good fortune, happiness and longevity." With that said, Harry handed her a small wrapped package. Most of the hall was looking at them, the cake drew their attention. Hermione opened the box with shaking hands to reveal a necklace, with a Gryffindor lion as the pendant. Not only was everything fine gold, but the lion had ruby eyes. The back of the pendant had the runes for life, luck and joy carved.

Hermione seemed to be unable to speak. Ginny helped her put on the necklace and whispered in her ear.

Hermione stuttered out, "Many thanks. May I be an honourable adult member of your house." Gasps were heard from many corners of the room, though most of the student body just looked confused, as did Hermione.

Harry gave Hermione a hug and said, "Happy birthday." The pair of them sitting down was the cue for the rest of the hall to return to the breakfast, though there was a new fervor to the conversations.

Eventually Hermione managed to ask, "What was that? Thank you so much for the necklace, but what did we just say?"

Neville said, "It is traditional, in the wizarding world, for a witch to get a necklace on her seventeenth birthday from her family. It used to be a dowry, now it is just jewelry."

"I thought that I should be the one to give it to you since you are like my sister and it would be really weird for Ron to give it to you."

"But what about that house thing that Ginny told me to say."

"Well that was a kind of adoption, but not really. It means that in dealing with old customs you are treated as a Potter. It's not a big deal most of the time but it is harder to achieve elected office without an old house attached. Potter isn't one of the oldest names but it is a well respected one."

"My Gran would introduce you at a ball as Hermione Granger of the House of Potter."

"The not matching last name is fairly common; Ron and I will be of the house of Prewett since it is an older name than Weasley."

"But you set this up without my permission. Don't I get a say in this? What about my parents?"

Ron explained, "It doesn't matter in the day to day. Really this just means you could run for Minister of Magic someday if you like. We are sorry to lay this on you like that but wasn't the surprise worth it?"

"It was lovely, but…" Hermione was at a loss for words.

"Hermione, its okay. Just forget about it for today and research it tomorrow. We have some cake to eat and real presents to give you."

"I thought you had all forgotten. No one said anything at all; it was just 'time for breakfast'."

"I asked them to wait for me to give you the necklace. These geniuses couldn't figure out a way to stall except to pretend to forget your birthday."

The matter was dropped as they started to oooh and aww over Hermione's gifts. Ron gave a box of chocolates and a red rose, Ginny's gift was a set of hair clips that complemented to necklace, Neville presented her with a book on magical ceremonies, a copy of the one they had gotten Harry's speech from. Luna gave Hermione a year's subscription to the Quibbler to which Hermione responded with a polite thanks. Hermione protested when Harry handed her a wrapped package.

"You already gave me a present. This is too much."

"That was ceremonial and this one cost me nothing more than my own sweat. Go on take it."

The red wrapping came off to reveal a book entitled 'From the writing of Salazar Slytherin'. It was hand bound and had about a hundred pages of Harry's handwriting. It was a mix of potions and spells that Harry had not previously heard of and assumed were lost to time.

Hermione stuttered nonsense as everyone else took a look at the book, then goggled at Harry.

"Why would you copy anything from that bigoted git? Does it have a bunch of stuff about how to purify the wizarding race?" demanded Ron.

"I read the man's diary and he wasn't actually bigoted, at least not to start with. At first he didn't have any opinions of muggleborns but about 30 years after the founding of the school a group of relatives of muggleborns attacked the school and killed 5 of his female students. From then on he wanted them educated separately to protect the rest of the students. It was all to do with the threat of muggles, not the value of their children."

"But history passed down his prejudice to the Death Eaters today," protested Hermione.

"Those beliefs didn't become popular until the witch burnings of the middle ages, when muggles became a huge threat to the wizarding world, which was understandable."

"How can you say that those beliefs are okay? Your mother was muggleborn," demanded Hermione.

"No I said that it was understandable then, not now. Just like people in the 1940s were prejudiced against Germans out of fear of Nazis. It was acceptable then when people were in danger, it is not acceptable now. And it was worse since the witch hunts targeted girls, as they believed the females were the source of all corruption, while wizards held women in reverence, as leaders of society and moral compasses for culture. It made the prejudice against muggleborn so thick that some haven't been able to move past it 400 years later."

Most of the Gryffindor table was staring at Harry, having been eavesdropping on the conversation. "Where did you learn this?" asked Ginny.

"I looked it up after I read Slytherin's diary. Some of the transition of then to now did not make any sense without having a _proper_ History of Magic to fill in the gaps. This is the kind of stuff we should actually be learning instead of the goblin wars that Binns droned on about. The problem is that the Ministry decides the curriculum and they want us to be mindless sheep instead of free thinkers."

The group seemed to simultaneously realize they had to eat quickly in order to make their first classes on time, though Ron still had time for a third helping of cake and Hermione was trying to glance through the Slytherin book. At one point she pointed out a line on a page to Harry.

"What is this scribbling?"

"Parselscript. Sorry it is kind of hard for me to tell the difference between it and English. It says add 3 grains of basilisk skin and stir counterclockwise 31 times."

"You mean that is what it looks like written. I expected a whole bunch of esses and ays," commented Hermione as she used her wand and a quill to make the correction.

"It has its own alphabet. Very different to try and write and penmanship is very important. I usually end up with gibberish if I am trying to write something. That turned out pretty well though. Probably because I wasn't trying to write in Parselscript, funny how that works."

With that the warning bell rang, meaning they all had to rush off to classes.

…………………………………

A/N I am sorry it's been so long, but school has been awful. I am working very hard to maintain my standard of outstanding mediocrity. (Meaning I am average in a group of well above average people.)

The really hard part is wrestling with my muse. I haven't had any big inspiration since a random thought of what would happen if James died of SIDS in this story. I refuse to write it but my muse is stuck on it. Don't worry it won't happen. Until I get inspired I am just plodding along the plans I made when I had an active muse.

Thanks a million for the wonderful reviews. I appreciate the time taken to check out my profile, and thank you to my incoherent flamer, SonajUnited, with a nice review attached.

This chapter will break the 50 000 word mark. I have to say WOOHOO!

Note: This will be a Harry/Ginny fic. I really see Hermione as Harry's sister, as evidenced by this chapter. If you like HHr fics I recommend Secrets by Potter8668. It is quite similar to this but year seven, HBP compliant, and HHr and a lot more bashing.

Oh, yeah, one of my favorite things of all time is independent Harry without bashing; most of the independent stories bash Dumbledore and/or the Weasleys.

Anyway have a good week and I will hopefully update again soon.

Apothecary in training.


	25. The Toadstool Tales

I own nothing. Except a copy of Jingle Spells 2. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parceltongue s_

W wolf's thoughts W

……….

Chapter 25 The Toadstool Tales

Harry found himself in a bathroom shaving. But something seemed wrong. There was this niggling feeling in the back of his mind that he had forgotten something or that something was out of place. Everything seemed perfectly normal as he wiped the foam off his neck. Before he had time to ponder that feeling, an alarm went off. He immediately took off with a sense of panic, out of the bathroom and down a hall that he had never seen before. It was as if he was moving on autopilot. He had no control over his actions or his feelings and no idea where he was going or why. He flew down a set of stairs, vaguely noticing there were pictures lining the wall but he couldn't focus at the speed he was moving.

His surroundings were strange, but familiar at the same time. He ran through a cheerful kitchen and out the backdoor into a garden that had a swing set. It was tidy, yet homey at the same time. There were trees surrounding the yard, though he could see that there were no other houses for miles around, so this must be a farm. The sun was just above the horizon and it was summer, so it must be very early in the morning. He kept moving uncontrollably. He was heading towards a large red barn. He gaspingly yelled, "James Tyler Potter!" Harry was relieved to see a young child, of about five, come out from behind the barn but not within ten feet of it. The boy was dark haired and dressed in jeans and an orange t-shirt. As he reached the child he scooped him into his arms and held him close.

"I told you to stay away from the barn. It's not safe for you." The boy looked at his father with wide clear green eyes. Harry could tell that his own fear was scaring his son. "Why are you out here anyway? You are supposed to be in your room."

"I's sorry, daddy," the boy lisped from between missing front teeth. "I was widing my twike and I heawd somesing."

"You scared me so much. You aren't supposed to come outside without an adult. You know better, so you are going to spend the rest of today in your room." Harry still held the boy close as he carried him across the yard and back to the unknown home.

….

Harry sat bolt upright in bed. The dream had been so real. He could still feel his son's much heavier weight in his arms, the sun on his face and dew through his socks. But he was really in the Gryffindor's sixth years boys dormitory. It was pitch black and the only sounds were Ron's snores. There was no sun, no barn and his son was sleeping peacefully in the nursery in the trunk.

He leapt out of bed and threw on his dressing gown before climbing into the trunk to reassure himself of this son's age. Sure enough, a 5 month old was sleeping peacefully in a crib and there was no 5 year old to be seen. Harry straightened the soft blue baby blanket over the infant before stroking his cheek. James turned his head towards the finger touching him and smiled as if he could feel the affection that his father conveyed in the motion.

Once Harry's back was sore from the awkwardness of bending over a crib for an extended period of time, he placed a cushioning charm on the rocking chair and settling in the sleep where he could hear soft baby grunts when he son dreamed of bottles of milk and toys that hovered just out of reach.

…..

Morning was typical, a teenaged father was woken too early by a baby that was very much a morning person. Once a nappy was changed, a new outfit donned, and a bottle warmed, the pair sat in a rocking chair with eyes fixed on each other. Though Harry's gaze was drawn by his son's, his mind was far away, on a farm in the summer with a five year old child.

_Dream sight. Weak, so I can't control it. But that makes it the future…_

_No it makes it a possible future. The future isn't written in stone. Written in sand is more like it._

_That is definitely a future I want. A nice home, with a child that looked happy and healthy._

_And at least some of my friends where, will be, alive. Who but Ron would choose a Chudley Cannons shirt for a five year old?_

_Merlin, I hope I can be that good of dad. I was so scared but I didn't take it out on a child who didn't really understand that he had done wrong._

_No matter how much I move past it, I am still scared that I will end up being like the Dursleys._

James finished the bottle and after a surprisingly loud belch, the two played a round of Quidditch, meaning that Harry held the baby at arms length facedown and spoke appropriate commentator lines about Potter, the upstart Seeker from England, while the baby giggled, more at how his Daddy was moving him than what he was saying.

"And Potter pulls out of a hundred foot dive to catch the Snitch. England wins. England wins!"

……

Later that night, after a day of classes, a frustrating DA meeting, where he actually had to stun Zacharias Smith to keep him from physically attacking one of the Slytherin girls, and three essays, Harry tried to pick out a story to read to his son for bedtime. He had mostly been reading the Muggle stories that he knew from primary school or the shows that Dudley had watched on TV, so he felt it was time to read his son something wizarding, that wasn't a textbook. He spied a likely looking book.

'The Toadstool Tales by Beatrix Bloxam'

Harry pulled it off its shelf and sat down to read it to his son, who tried to grab the book and shove it in his mouth. Harry stretched so the book was out reach, as he had to do quite often these days since the baby wanted to put everything in his mouth. When the child squawked indignantly, Harry quickly summoned a pacifier from across the room and with amazing dexterity, put it in the babe's mouth before settling into read. The first tale was called 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot.'

"Once upon a time, in a land of lollipops and gumdrops, live a little bitty boy called Wee Willykins. Wee Willykins was a grumpy-wumpy boyee, who was ever so fussywussy to all his dear dollywollies. He would yell and toss the poor dollywollies all over the room and never invite all of the dollies to tea at once, so that they would be jealous of the ones who were so luckywucky to get tea. Until one day Wee Willykins's mummy gave him a big new black pot…" Harry read aloud.

_What is this? Dollywolly? Williknis. This is disgusting._

Apparently James agreed with his assessment as he managed to spit out his pacifier hard enough to actually hit the book.

Harry flipped pages to see if he could find an explanation for that kind of writing. At the end of the book he found a commentary that explained everything.

'This book contains Mrs. Bloxam's wonderful rewriting of classic Wizarding fairy tales and legends that were previously too, in her words, 'filled with unhealthy preoccupation with the most horrid subjects such as death, disease, bloodshed, wicked magic, unwholesome characters and bodily effusions and eruptions of the most disgusting kinds.' Thank you for providing lovely tales for sweet, innocent children to read.'

_It's like an extreme Disneyification of fairy tales, losing most of the point alone the way. As well as becoming painful to read. But it also says that the Hopping Pot thing was originally a Beedle the Bard story. The original should be a lot better, and I think I have a copy of his stuff._

Sure enough, there was a thin blue book marked as 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' on the book shelf. A quick exchange, shoving the previous book to the back, hopefully to never be seen again, Harry settled in to read a story that was gruesome enough to hold his attention while still having a rather obvious message of the responsibility that being magic imparts to those who are fortunate enough to be able to use it.

_I'll have to be sure to read this to him often when he gets older._

…………_._

A/N

I'm sorry. I know its short, but hey at least it didn't take 3 months this time. On that note:

Today is the one year anniversary of me starting this story! That's why I did this little chapter even though I have an unbelievably huge exam on Monday. (Frankly you're lucky the phrase Torsade de Pointes didn't come up anywhere.)

What a difference a year makes! From not wanting to study Pharmacology to being completely consumed with Therapeutics.

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews.

A little snippet did come from the Tales of Beedle the Bard (I have 2 copies.) And James's speech impediment is very similar to what I had at age 4. (Speech therapy was fun.) Anyway, I hope I will post again soon, but not for at least a week.

TTFN

Apothecary in training


	26. The Cliffs of Dover

I own nothing. Except 3 plants. Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_Harry's thoughts_

'_Ginny's thoughts'_

_S Parseltongue s_

W wolf's thoughts W

……….

Chapter 26 Cliffs of Dover

Harry woke early on the last Sunday morning of September in a manner that he was not accustomed to. A soft female voice was speaking to him, and gently shaking his shoulder. For a minute he thought he was dreaming, but when his eyes opened to a blur of red in the predawn light of the dormitory.

"Come on Harry, get up and get dressed," said the voice urgently, just above a whisper. His sluggish brain analyzed the situation plainly; his bed was warm and the air outside of it cold, so he felt little desire to obey such a request.

"Wha," he groaned.

"Get up." And with that, he received a hard enough poke to actually make him look around.

Suddenly, Ginny grabbed Harry spare pillow, spun around and flung it at the next bed in the dorm. A soft "umph" and sudden lack of snoring showed that she hit her target.

"Ginny, what are you doing in here?" demanded the red headed boy.

"We're going on a trip. Wear muggle clothing and don't forget your coats. It's really cold outside this morning. Come on! Hermione and the professors are waiting."

As the girl stalked out of the room, the boys exchanged incredulous looks, silently communicating that they were equally clueless as to what was going on. Ron flung Harry's pillow at the closed door. Both boys got up and dressed quickly and quietly, to avoid waking their roommates. Harry used a private moment in the boys washroom to call Dobby and ask him to watch James until further notice, before heading down to the common room to find Professor McGonagall, Hermione and Ginny waiting. The three women were dressed Muggle style; the Professor looked very odd in a Muggle dress.

"Happy belated birthday, Harry," said Ginny.

Harry gave her a quizzical look. He wasn't really awake enough for much of a conversation.

"I got Professor Dumbledore to agree to a field trip for the four of us. Couldn't get permission for Neville or Luna though since they would need their guardians' permission to leave school and it isn't safe for anymore people to know."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Professor McGonagall informed them, "The rest of your security is waiting in the entrance hall."

Harry sighed; he really didn't feel like doing something surrounded by a pack of Order members or, far worse, Aurors.

The school was quiet. In fact, even in the middle of the night there wasn't this much quiet, since teachers and prefects would be patrolling. Truly, the school was never as quiet as on a Sunday morning.

He was very relieved, when the Entrance Hall contained only Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Professor Dumbledore. Remus and Tonks looked happier together than he had ever seen before. Harry actually wondered if the young woman had morphed her face in order to smile that wide, of course, that couldn't explain Moony.

Once everyone had greeted each other properly, and Harry had gotten a short lecture about disappearing for the summer, to which Harry replied with a grin and a hug for the former DADA teacher, Dumbledore pulled out a long rope and instructed everyone to hold onto the portkey. Harry closed his eyes before doing so, trying to avoid thinking about the disastrous portkey at the end of the TriWizard Tournament. With a jerk, the eight witches and wizards disappeared from the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

They landed in various ways. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Tonks were all laid out flat by the impact. Hermione's position was an improvement, though judging by her piteous moan, her knees didn't agree. The remaining three adults were calmly standing. The Marauder seemed to be fighting a grin, not too successfully since his significant other whacked him on the arm as soon as she found her feet.

It was then that Harry noticed their surroundings. They were on a grassy area, hills to one side, where the light was dimmer. In the distance, a castle was visible surrounded by a small town. The lighter side had nothing but open sea once the grass ended mere meters away. More importantly the sea was far below them crashing loudly on the cliffs where they stood.

"The cliffs. You brought me to the Cliffs of Dover at dawn just like I wanted," Harry was barely able to get these words out from behind all the emotion that blocked his throat.

"And we're having a picnic breakfast, whenever you are ready for it," supplied Remus.

Harry gave a slight smile before turning towards the cliff and walking as close to the edge as possible and sitting there. He stared at white limestone from of the precipices around him and listened to surf pounding on the rocks. Above him birds flew, though they were more noticeable by their calls than by sight. The sun rose quickly, illuminating the surrounding land and his friends sat beside him silently, while the adults hung back to guard without intruding. Harry let the surrounding fill his with something immeasurably precious. Hope. Finally when the sun had fully left the horizon, Harry started,

"There'll be blue birds over  
The white cliffs of Dover,  
Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

Here Hermione joined in. And faintly, Harry could hear Professor Dumbledore humming.

There'll be love and laughter  
And peace ever after  
Tomorrow, when the world is free.

The shepherd will tend his sheep,  
The valley will bloom again  
And Jimmy will go to sleep,  
In his own little room again.

There'll be blue birds over  
The white cliffs of Dover,  
Tomorrow, just you wait and see."

Ron looked amazed and Ginny looked tearful. "Harry, I didn't know you could sing."

Harry gave the redhaired girl a smirk. "Yeah, I did choir for a couple years in primary. Gave me an excuse not to be on the playground during breaks. Not really the tenor I was then, more of a baritone now. Probably wouldn't have known the song without the group."

"Harry, I don't understand. I see lots of bird out here, but none of them are blue," pointed out Ron.

"That's what happens when an American writes a song about a place in England. There are no bluebirds in this country," laughed Hermione.

"The point isn't the birds. It's the quiet. The lack of planes. No bombs, no air raid sirens, no soldiers. Just people living their lives. And it happened. Their war ended, so as bad as things seem right now, our war will end and we will go home and sleep in our own beds."

A sad old voice interjected, "An admirable sentiment Harry. And you are quite right, the war ended and in our favour. On the struggles of many ordinary people, battles were won and eventually we were able to come home and rebuild our lives. That song lightened the hearts of many a homesick young men over 50 years ago. It is nice to see that the latest generation can enjoy it as well."

After that, seriousness was put aside as the group attacked the food in the picnic basket, though much of the bread products were actually used to feed local avians, instead of visiting human. Too soon all supplies were packed away and with one last appreciative look, Harry disappeared with his friends and teachers to the place he most considered his home.

……………………

A/N: Sorry it's been so long and also that it is short. My life is insane. Thank you for not giving up on me.

First, the song is not mine (obviously). The lyrics were written by Nat Burton and the melody was by Walter Kent and originally sung by Dame Vera Lynn.

Second, I had a couple a thrills back in March reading random fanfictions. The first was a case of imitation is the sincerest form of flattery in Surprise! by iGymnast. A couple lines seemed very familiar and I found myself on her favorite author list, so 'Thank you!' The second was in reading Blood of the Phoenix by midnightjen and absolutely loving it and then finding my story on her favorites list. Absolutely amazing to have someone whose story you like, also like yours. I also suggest people check out those fictions.

Third, my story has over 100 000 hits and has been favorited 200 times. It just seems amazing that so many people have enjoyed something I wrote.

Thanks for your time and I will hopefully have the privacy to write more soon.

Apothecary in training


	27. Happy Half Birthday

I own nothing. Except a weight watcher's subscription (forgive me if my writing becomes obsessed with food). Harry Potter belongs to JKR, WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Raincoast etc.

Guide: Narrative

"Dialogue"

'written'

_thoughts_

……………………………………………..

Chapter 27 Happy Half Birthday

Harry made his way to the headmaster's office on the first Wednesday of the tenth month of the year. After telling the statue 'milk chocolate,' he knocked on the gilded door which automatically opened. "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

"Ah yes. Would you care for a drink of some kind? Or something to eat?" enquired the aged man.

"No, thank you, sir. I just came from dinner."

"Indeed it is that part of the day. I often loose track of the time. I believe it is a hazard of having lived through so much of it. How are your classes going?" the tone was conversational, but Harry believed that his mentor was delaying an unpleasant subject.

"Fine, professor."

"Seeing as you are not indulging me in postponing the topic of this meeting, I will cut to the point. The minister has contacted me to try and set up a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the first fall of Voldemort." Harry was dumbfounded. He had definitely not expected that.

"Really? Doesn't that seem like it would goad Voldemort on into staging some kind of attack?"

"I concur. That is why, when asked if I would allow you to leave the school grounds to attend such an event, I refused as is my right as headmaster of your school." Dumbledore attempted to placate Harry.

"Thanks for that. I really don't want to be there," replied Harry with relief.

"Unfortunately, this made Scrimgeour request to have the party held here, at Hogwarts, in the Great Hall. When I refused, he went over my head to the board of governors and forced the issue on them," said the headmaster, with a trace at bitterness for being overruled.

Harry groaned.

"Which is why, come the 31st of the month, our usual Halloween celebrations will be replaced with a by invite only ball. There will be a heavy presence of government officials and press."

"Sir, is there any way I can refuse my invite without making an enemy of the minister."

"I do not believe so, Harry. I just called you here to give you warning as the invites will be arriving tomorrow. I am truly sorry that you are in this position."

"Thank you, sir. Has the minister not realized that this is also the anniversary of the death of my parents and that I might want to deal with it in private, rather than be on display for hundreds of people that I don't know?"

"I do not believe that he sees beyond his own wants at the present time. Such is the folly of a many a leader with great intentions. They see only the final goal and not who they wound on the path towards that goal. Scrimgeour only sees the public feeling and the war effort and forgets about all the individuals involved," Dumbledore explained.

"Thank you for the warning and I am sorry if I embarrass you on the night of the party."

"Do not concern yourself about me. What is it that you are planning to do?"

"I don't know yet, but I definitely will not be attending a ministry party." With that Harry nodded to his headmaster and left the crowded office, his mind whirling with possibilities.

……………………

Sunday, October 15 dawned to a Hogwarts covered in frost. Harry, of course, could not see this as he had spent the night in his son's nursery. This was because this special day was James's half birthday. Harry's baby was now six months old.

He had given his friends some excuse about training alone all day so that they wouldn't go looking for him.

The Potter family's day began with their first experience with cereal.

For the infant's breakfast, Harry mixed up some rice cereal (with iron) and a lot of baby formula, so that it was just solid enough to stay in a spoon. James was quite perplexed by the high chair that he was strapped into. The baby was somewhat able to sit by himself but couldn't get up to sitting without his daddy's assistance. He didn't seem to like the constraints involved in the chair, but seemed willing to put up with it, since he had most of Harry's attention and because the elevation gave him a different view of the room.

Harry sat right in front of the high chair with the runny cereal. Since the baby was looking as him with a partially opened mouth, the teen took advantage of the situation to push a small rubber spoon of cereal into the child mouth. James's eyes went wide with surprise. His natural reflexes pushed about half of the cereal back out while swallowing. Harry had a washcloth ready for this occurrence. Harry half-filled the spoon again and this time the infant opened his mouth more, eager to experience the mush again. After about 20 minutes the bowl was half empty, the washcloth was saturated and James was no longer opening his mouth for the cereal. Harry had realized, with a smirk, that every time his moved the spoon towards the baby he opened his own mouth. This probably accounted for most of his son's opening his mouth, since they did play monkey-see monkey-do a lot.

Next on the agenda, since the runny rice mush had gotten into a lot of places that it didn't belong, was a bath.

Harry used a baby tub, spelled full of water to get the slimy goo out the baby's hair, and all the stickiness off of his body. To clean himself off, Harry simply used a Scourgify, since the abrasion didn't bother him as it would the baby.

Father and son played for about an hour. James had come to realize the delights of peek-a-boo. He giggled every time Harry pulled the blanket down so that they could see each other again. In the past, when Harry had tried to play this, the baby would start crying when he couldn't see his father and would need to be consoled. It seemed that James had reached the stage where he realized that things he couldn't see still existed, which also explained his tendency to throw things out of his crib and be happy when they were returned to him by his dad or Dobby.

The pair both took a nap together; Harry transfigured his camp bed into something larger for them. Harry slept on his back with the baby on his stomach, held tightly to prevent rolling. It was always amazing to the young parent that he never moved an inch while sleeping in the same bed as his son, though normally he moved quite a bit at night.

James got a meal that he was used to, a bottle of formula, when he woke up and then was laid down to play on the carpet when Harry's meal was brought by Dobby. Every few minutes James's head would swivel around to check that his dad was still present before continuing to play with his rattle, or whatever had caught his eye at the moment.

Harry spent some time that afternoon reading to James from his Transfiguration textbook. Harry levitated the textbook in front of him while he carried his son around the room in order to soothe him.

When evening fell, and curfew passed Harry asked his son to turn into pup, which they had practiced quite often since his son had shown the ability. And he was rewarded with a small wolf cub at his feet. For some reason James never changed forms when he was being held. Harry scooped him up and covered them both with the invisibility cloak before leaving his trunk and carefully sneaking out of the half full Gryffindor common room. Harry used several short cuts to get to the Entrance Hall and then headed out the main doors towards the lake. It was cool, so Harry put a warming charm on his wolf pup son before setting him down to change into his own animagus wolf. Harry abandoned the invisibility cloak in order to play with his son. They played some tag and the pup seemed to really enjoy the smell of the grass and fresh air, but the fallen leaves made him sneeze and fall over.

Neither of the wolves, notice by scent or sight, that someone was watching from a third floor window.

………………………

A/N : Don't hate me, that's not a cliff hanger, that is really all that will be said about that for quite a few chapters.

Schools back, ick. But its my last year (finally) I have no idea when I will be posting next as my muse has rather deserted me lately.

My natural inclination is to call baby rice cereal Pablum, but I am fairly certain that is a Canadian thing, since it was developed here, so I resisted.


End file.
